Zelensky holds a "press" conference while Marie Yovanovitch testifies before the US Congress

As reported by Andrew Roth (left),

"In the space of a few weeks, [Zelensky] has faced protests over a controversial peace deal in Ukraine’s south-east, a lacklustre visit from the IMF and the resignation of a reformist cabinet member.

What was needed, his administration decided, was a grand gesture to recapture the narrative of a young, outsider president with a 70 per cent approval rating." (The Guardian :10 October 2019) (my emphasis)

And so it was that Zelensky embarked on a marathon press conference where he,

" ...took questions at Kyiv food market in the refurbished Arsenal weapons factory, where he sat at a broad table next to a stall advertising “oysters and sparkling”. (ibid Andrew Roth)

 

Kyiv Food Market served not only as a TV backdrop to Zelensky's first full press conference, but also functioned as the 'shiny object' in which his responses were wrapped.

Contrast this with a formal press setting, at which questions from the press are laser focused, to the mutual exclusion of any flashy backdrop, towards a target 'actor' respondent who has no 'props to lean on', and you have to ask yourself,

"Was this a press conference or 'a grand gesture to avert the eyes of the Ukrainian public away from the critical controversies that Zelensky is now  mired in?"

Ironically, whilst Zelensky was holding his 'marathon' press conference, the former US ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yavanovitch (left), sacked by Donald Trump,

"... defied the White House on Friday in testifying before Congress, where she told lawmakers that President Donald Trump wanted her removed from her post based on "unfounded and false claims."

Her testimony -- lasting nearly 10 hours -- may not be the linchpin of their potential impeachment case, but it signals that the White House's claim that the investigation is illegitimate may not persuade witnesses to balk at appearing before Congress.

In a blistering statement to the committee, Yovanovitch said she had been dismissed last spring because of pressure from Trump and "a concerted campaign against me." (Jeremy Herb, Manu Raju and Lauren Fox : CNN : 12 October 2019) (my emphasis)

What is highly disconcerting is that, in the transcript of that fateful call between Trump and Zelensky on 25th July, it is stated that Trump said that,

"The former ambassador from the United States, the woman [Marie Yovanovitch] was bad news and the people that she was dealing with in the Ukraine was bad news so I just want to let you know that ..."

To which Zelensky replied,

"It was great that you were the first one who told me that she was a bad ambassador because I agree with you 100% ..."

CNN : October 12

This is the same Yovanovitch who made tackling corruption in Ukraine her mission

"The old [Ukraine] oligarch system is still clinging to life, and corruption is its life support.", she stated. 

Rachel Maddow (see video below) gives a succinct account of just by whom, how, and why, Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was ignominiously yanked from her post as US Ambassador to Ukraine.  

 MSNBC : 12 October 2019

 So the question is :-

"Was Zelensky's marathon "press" conference a dazzling 'shiny' object to also divert attention away from the Marie Yovanovitch testimony before the US Congress?"

(to be continued)