Ukraine president holds 1-man ‘debate’ before runoff vote

MOSCOW — With one week remaining until Ukraine’s presidential election runoff, President Petro Poroshenko has come to the country’s largest sports stadium for a proposed debate where his opponent didn’t show up.

There also aren’t any spectators in Kiev’s Olimpiskiy Stadium, though a large crowd stands outside to listen to a broadcast of Poroshenko making a statement and answering journalists’ questions. He stands next to an empty lectern bearing challenger Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s name.

The event Sunday was the latest unusual scene in the race between Poroshenko and Zelenskiy, a comic actor rumored to be Jewish whom polls show holding a commanding lead.

Zelenskiy, who’s never held office, had challenged Poroshenko to a debate in the stadium two days before April 21 election, but Poroshenko wanted it to be held Sunday. Zelenskiy never agreed to the Sunday debate.

— AP