Poroshenko gave a million dollars to children in Turkey — new details of the scandalous statement
Former president and now MP of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko made an unexpected financial move in Turkey, declaring expenses for a gift for children in the amount of one million US dollars. This news caused a wide resonance in society and attracted the attention of journalists and political experts, in particular due to incomplete information about the circumstances of this financial transaction and its goals. According to “Slidstvo.Info”, whose correspondent was able to get from the register of declarations of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NACP), in early May Poroshenko reported significant changes in his financial status. According to the documents, on April 28, the former president transferred 41.7 million hryvnias, which at exchange rates is about one million US dollars, in Turkey for the purpose of making a charitable gift. At the same time, the day before, on April 25, he paid over 237 thousand hryvnias for living in this country, but the declaration does not indicate to whom exactly this money was addressed and to whom the gift was intended. According to representatives of “European Solidarity”, whose official comment was asked by journalists, this amount was intended for charitable purposes - a gift for children. However, the press service of their political force refused to detail who exactly this gesture was addressed to and for what reasons in Turkey. They noted that “changes to Petro Poroshenko’s declaration were made in connection with a gift to children from the declared funds”, but did not provide more specific information. Regarding the purposes and details of the trip, the press service reported that Poroshenko was in Turkey on a business trip. In particular, he was allegedly invited by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, a member of parliament, Mevlut Cavusoglu, with whom he held negotiations on bilateral and international issues. At that time, he was allegedly in Wiesbaden (Germany) to participate in a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council, and later in Valencia, Spain, where the annual congress of the European People's Party was held. Journalists tried to confirm this information and find out more details, in particular, through inquiries to Mevlut Cavusoglu, but they were unable to get answers. In addition, the official media and public statements of Petro Poroshenko and his political force did not contain any mention of the Turkish visit, which raised additional doubts about the veracity of this information. Against the background of this news — a high-profile “gift to the children” — on the political instability front. On February 13, 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against the former president and leader of “European Solidarity”. The list of restrictions included 17 items that affected the economic sphere, including asset freezes, trade bans, restrictions on defense procurement, and even a ban on participation in privatization or the use of state radio frequencies. In addition, Poroshenko was stripped of state awards and banned from transferring funds abroad. At the same time, he does not support these sanctions and calls them politically motivated, since, according to him, they violate his constitutional rights. This was echoed in the courts: in May, the National Bank of Ukraine recognized Poroshenko as a person with a “not impeccable business reputation,” which caused additional controversy and speculation. Also at this time, a case began to be considered in Vinnytsia Oblast regarding the division of the joint property of the former Poroshenko spouses, whose total property is over 17 billion hryvnias. The European Solidarity Party stated that this lawsuit is part of attempts at political pressure and an attempt by Russia and the current Ukrainian leadership to discredit the activities of Petro Poroshenko, in particular, in the context of his volunteer and military assistance to the Ukrainian army. They emphasized that this process is part of a “joint tactic to protect the family” from possible restrictions, and called for an independent investigation. The information about Poroshenko’s visit to Turkey and his charitable donations, which was not confirmed by official sources, caused a wide public outcry and additional questions about the openness and transparency of the actions of political figures in modern Ukraine. At the same time, along with political battles, this case reminds us of the importance of a detailed investigation and transparency in the financial transactions of high-ranking officials.