Poroshenko ready to become Ukraine's prime minister

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has headed the election ticket of his party European Solidarity and, if the party wins early parliamentary elections, is ready to become the country's new prime minister.

He stated this in a comment to the Internet television station Hromadske.TV.

When asked whether Poroshenko is considering becoming prime minister, Ukraine's fifth president answered affirmatively.

"If we win the elections, then yes," he said.

At the same time, Poroshenko refused to answer whether he personally will be a people's deputy or quit the party after the elections.

"I firmly believe that as a leader of the party I bear full responsibility for the actions of the party and for the actions of the faction," he said.

The first ten candidates running for parliament on the ticket of the European Solidarity party were introduced at a party congress in Kyiv on June 9. They include Poroshenko, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy, Verkhovna Rada First Vice Chair Iryna Gerashchenko, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces Lt. Gen. Mykhailo Zabrodsky, Ukrainian singer and TV presenter Sofiya Fedyna, leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev, Ukrainian volunteer doctor Yana Zinkevych, Chairman of Lviv Regional State Administration Oleh Syniutka, deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Akhtem Chiygoz, and Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.

op