During an interview with Ukraine 24 TV, ex-president of Georgia and ex-governor of Odessa Mikhail Saakashvili said he believes the Supreme Rada of Ukraine can garner the votes required to appoint him to the position of Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and is optimistic.

Saakashvili also said he has had an interesting meeting with deputies of the Servant of the People Party.

On April 22, Saakashvili declared that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered him to become Deputy Prime Minister for Reforms and has pledged to present his plan for reforms to the Supreme Rada.

In May 2015, Poroshenko granted Ukrainian citizenship to the Georgian politician and appointed him governor of Odessa. Saakashvili held the position for one-and-a-half years, after which he joined the opposition. In the summer of 2017, Poroshenko deprived Saakashvili of citizenship, and in February 2018, the Ukrainian Special Services arrested him, expelled him from the country and prohibited his entry until 2021.

New President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has restored Saakashvili’s citizenship, and the politician returned to Ukraine on May 29.