A comedian tipped to become Ukraine's next president has skipped a debate with the incumbent candidate Petro Poroshenko days before a high-stakes runoff vote, Aljazeera reported.
The expected no-show by actor Volodymyr Zelensky prompted Poroshenko to stage a solo appearance on Sunday at Kiev Olympic Stadium as several thousand supporters flooded a nearby square.
With one week to go before the vote, Poroshenko, 53, accused his rival, a 41-year-old political novice, of avoiding hard-hitting questions.
He also said he would respect the "choice of the Ukrainian people" if Zelensky were elected president on April 21 but added he was worried for the country's future.
"I do not like that a presidential campaign in Ukraine looks like a silent movie," Poroshenko said, standing next to Zelensky's empty podium.