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Ukraine’s presidential hopeful Zelensky refuses to take drug test amid provocation fears

At the same time the politician did not rule out that he could have been misinformed

Ukraine’s presidential contender Vladimir Zelensky Arina Lebedeva/TASS

Ukraine’s presidential contender Vladimir Zelensky

© Arina Lebedeva/TASS

KIEV, April 14. /TASS/. Ukraine’s front-running presidential contender and showman Vladimir Zelensky has refused to take a drug and alcohol test at the Olympic National Sports Complex in Kiev together with incumbent President Pyotr Poroshenko amid fears of provocation.

"One day after all this election information will come to the surface that someone had prepared provocation against me at the Olympic National Sports Complex. I didn’t go there, I had received this secret information. Now I’m not ready to speak about it," Zelensky told Novosti Ukraine newspaper in an interview posted on Youtube.

The politician did not rule out that he could have been misinformed, but he did not blame anyone and did not turn to police. "I don’t need speculations, I don’t have to prove the society that I’m not a drug user, I’m not. That’s why for me all this was offensive, tough and vulnerable [accusations of drug addiction], but I’m a strong guy and I’m not ready to change my terms and position," Zelensky said.

Zelensky also confirmed that he knew the owner of the Eurolab private clinic, where he had earlier passed tests, stressing that he was ready to undergo them in another international clinic.

Earlier, Zelensky suggested that Poroshenko should take medical tests for drugs and alcohol. Early on April 5, both candidates visited different medical centers and underwent blood tests, and their results were negative. Poroshenko also passed a test at the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

In the first round of Ukraine’s presidential race on March 31, the candidate from the Servant of the People party Vladimir Zelensky received 30.24% of the vote, while Poroshenko, who seeks a second term, came in second with 15.95%. The runoff is scheduled for April 21.

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