The first to speak: presidential candidate Druzenko discusses political advertising, Trump's "betrayal," and losses in the war.

At the beginning of the year, co-founder of the First Volunteer Mobile Hospital (PDMH) named after Nikolai Pirogov, Gennady Druzenko, announced his intentions to enter politics. This comes at a time of intense war with the Russian Federation, as the outlines of a just peace for Ukraine are not yet visible on the horizon. Such a loud statement, supported by billboards advertising PDMH that appeared in various cities across Ukraine, sparked a wave of backlash on social media. How can one announce political ambitions during wartime?

Indeed, how? Who will finance Druzenko's election campaign? Is he a political project of Pinchuk, and what funds were used for the first political advertisement during the "big" war in the country? Gennady Druzenko answered these and other questions in an interview with "Telegraph."

"We are losing. This is a consequence of politics."

– Gennady, you were probably the first to make a political coming-out and openly state that you are entering politics…

– When the war ends.

– Exactly. Right away you "jumped in": how can he talk about such things during a war? I actually ask you the same.

– Look, there is a classic phrase that war is the continuation of politics by other means. Unfortunately, we are currently losing the war. As painful as it is to admit, in the last year and a half since the unsuccessful counteroffensive, we are losing territory, people, and faith. Accordingly, something is wrong with our politics. Our defenders are very important. They are on the front lines. But wars are not won by armies; they are won by states. And politics is the art of managing a state. Therefore, when the war ends, if I survive, I will go [into politics]. Is there a better candidate? I would gladly support them. But for now, unfortunately, I have not seen anyone ready to lead the state. I would gladly do what I dreamed of: in our language, this is called "changing the constitutional design." So I think this is absolutely normal.

– What about the ethics of discussing politics during wartime?

– The fact that we are losing is a consequence of ineffective, unprofessional politics. Those shells that did not reach the front were stolen by someone in the rear. Personnel appointments. These are political questions: commanders who send people to their deaths. This is a consequence of politics, when a country where military enlistment offices were stormed with a desire to go to the front turned into a country where the term "bussification" emerged, and entire squads of people in camouflage are catching others. This is the same country. This is a consequence of politics. When we could have won against the Russians, we did not advance and were afraid to enter Russia in 2022. And when Russia gathered its forces, we are now banging our heads against the wall. These are political decisions!

Putin is like rain, thunder, a hurricane… We can’t do anything about it. The Russians have made their choice. Russia is what it is. Moreover, it has been this way for centuries. But we can do something about ourselves. How did a country where people were eager to defend it turn into a country where individuals pay any amount to escape from military enlistment offices to abroad? This is probably a consequence of wrong politics, and our defeats are a result of these wrong political decisions. You are a doctor, you see a sick patient, and you have to come and offer your services, understanding that the body is very ill.

As for politics, I studied this for half my life: I am one of the few who studied constitutional design, served in government three times, and know how it works and doesn’t work. Ultimately, there is a success story: PDMH emerged from scratch and celebrated its hundred-thousandth patient before the New Year. Without a penny of state budget funding. I joke that I want to try to turn the whole country into a large PDMH, where people are comfortable, where justice prevails, and which gives maximum effect with minimal costs. Why not?

– To turn the whole country into a large PDMH… In what capacity do you see yourself? As president?

– There is exactly one political position in this country. Unfortunately, Zelensky's authorities have completely desubjectified the parliament and cabinet. Therefore, unfortunately, in this constitutional architecture that currently exists, there is exactly one position that allows changing the country. Just as only a surgeon operates in a hospital, only the president can make such surgical changes in Ukraine.

– You often "catch flak" for the PDMH billboards across the country. Wouldn’t it be better to use that money for the Armed Forces of Ukraine?

– Wait. For the Armed Forces? And are they the most effective managers of money? I know how much profit is made on shells, so I don’t intend to finance corruption. Did the number of patients in PDMH drop after the billboards appeared? No. During the appearance of the billboards, we opened two new positions in the Sumy region. We are building our rehabilitation center just as we always have. The Third Assault Brigade is not hindered by the billboards; the "Charter" does not hinder them. These are the best brigades. And we certainly do not have more. No harm has been done to our work. People made targeted contributions for PR. Why should people know about the Third Assault Brigade, "Charter," the 93rd Brigade, and others, but not about PDMH?

Furthermore, our billboards were put up free of charge – the owner of the company offered it to us. We only paid for printing and posting. That’s how it happens: sometimes, people who do good deeds are thanked for it. So those who are worried are probably those who have never donated a penny to PDMH.

– An election campaign is an expensive affair. Who will finance you?

– I have no idea. Medicine is also an expensive affair. When the "big" war began, we returned to Kyiv with three cars, one of which was an ambulance, and one medic – my wife. By the end of the Kyiv campaign, we had more ambulances than any unit of the Armed Forces. And now our assets amount to over six million dollars. They appeared from somewhere. Moreover, I personally quarreled with [Victor] Pinchuk at the beginning of the war. We did not establish a relationship. Soros never gave us money for PDMH, although we used their office. Akhmetov… We once talked, many years ago, but they didn’t give us a penny. Who else? Kolomoisky has never supported PDMH either. Once, Yulia Volodymyrivna [Tymoshenko] gifted us an ambulance, and we gave her a collection of icons in ammunition boxes. Petro Oleksiyovych [Poroshenko] also never helped PDMH.

Nevertheless, PDMH was supported by FedEX, Pfizer, "Nova Poshta," WOG, MHP. But look, if I woke up with an erotic dream of becoming president (well, life didn’t work out)… I am offering my vision, experience, and knowledge. If there is a demand for this, then money will appear. If not, then I shouldn’t become president.

– But still. If you plan to enter politics, someone must fund it. You say they give money to PDMH. But giving to PDMH and giving to a politician are different things.

– Of course. Just yesterday, I gathered businessmen (I won’t reveal names for now), mid-level from various regions, who are interested in Druzenko being president. We have money for another wave of billboard advertising. You come and say: "People, you can’t invest millions in me and then get a contract, the right to plunder Ukraine." No one steals from PDMH, and everyone who tried is no longer with us.

Now we are in a building; here is a house. In the situation we are currently in, it is worth about a million. Well, war, a missile can hit. If Ukraine capitalizes and becomes, hypothetically, at least like Poland, that is, if GDP triples, this same house, without changing anything, will be worth three times more. A thinking business wants not to get an exclusive on the robbery of the country. A systemic business wants its capitalization. And capitalization depends on the country. Those with whom I find common ground this way help. Those who want "exclusivity" – not with me. I think there will be many such candidates.

"Trump will put the war on pause."

– The elections will be on October 26 ?

– I have no idea. I am not Petro Oleksiyovych. I am not an insider. The logic I see – Trump is stuck. And he knows how to achieve his goals