On Friday, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko announced that Saakashvili, known for his strong anti-Russian stance, would head the Advisory International Council of Reforms. The newly-created body is supposed to "increase the level of international support to Ukraine," Poroshenko’s office said in a news release.
"Mikheil will become a representative of Ukraine abroad and, simultaneously, a representative of the international community in Ukraine," Poroshenko explained, adding that Saakashvili is supposed to "decently represent us abroad."
Saakashvili, who resides in the US, served as Georgian president from 2004 until 2013, when he was barred from seeking another presidential term. His rule was largely criticized at home for authoritarianism, and a 2012 prison torture scandal dealt a heavy blow to his approval ratings. In summer 2014, a Georgian court charged him with abuse of power and misappropriation of public funds.
