KIEV: About 10,000 people including Ukraine’s former president Petro Poroshenko gathered in central Kiev on Sunday to protest a plan for broader autonomy for separatist territories ahead of a high-stakes summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The protesters, who descended on Kiev’s Independence Square known locally as Maidan, chanted “No to surrender!”, some holding placards critical of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky’s predecessor Poroshenko, who was trounced in an April election, joined the crowd towards the end of the rally and several thousand demonstrators later marched towards the presidential administration and parliament.

“Together we will win!” said the 54-year-old former president, who was accompanied by his wife Maryna.

Writing on Twitter, Poroshenko thanked Ukrainians who, he said, had protested in Kiev and more than 20 other cities.

Police estimated the Kiev turnout at 10,000 people. Rallies in other cities were much smaller, however.

Members of several nationalist and ultra-nationalist groups were among the demonstrators.

Zelensky is gearing up to hold his first summit with Putin in an effort revive a stalled peace process to end the five-year separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian, Russian and separatist negotiators agreed this week on a roadmap that envisages special status for separatist territories if they conduct free and fair elections under the Ukrainian constitution.

Zelensky’s critics fear that Putin will push the 41-year-old comedian-turned-politician to make damaging concessions that will allow him to retain Moscow’s de facto control of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.

Protesters in Independence Square said that agreeing to give broader autonomy to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic would mean surrendering Ukraine’s interests.

“We are against a betrayal,” protester Sergiy Lezvinsky, 58, said.

“We want to put an end to the occupation, to the decisions that are being fast-tracked.”

The provisional agreement of a roadmap was a key condition set by Moscow for a meeting that will be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and also involve German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The plan has been dubbed “the Steinmeier formula”, after Germany’s former foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who proposed it. But critics say the proposal favours Russia.

Zelensky’s predecessor Poroshenko has called it “Putin’s formula,” claiming it will endorse the Russian annexation of Crimea and Moscow’s de-facto control of eastern Ukraine.

“The Steinmeier formula is a Putin project,” said protester Mykola Chepiga.

He said elections could take place in eastern Ukraine only if Kiev restored control of the country’s borders there.

Some of the demonstrators later marched towards the presidential administration where they chanted “Get out!” and “Monica”.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2019