Espreso. Global
Exclusive

West may force Ukraine to hold elections to sign peace deal with Russia - political analyst Reiterovych

23 January, 2024 Tuesday
11:25

Political analyst Ihor Reiterovych believes that Western partners can force Ukraine to hold elections so that the new government agrees to sign a peace agreement with Russia

client/title.list_title

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel.

"I think that the Presidential Office thinks about elections every day. They consider different scenarios and options. And there is a very interesting aspect in this situation. The possibility of holding elections in Ukraine will depend on the intensity of the war and what exactly happens at the front. If we imagine that in a year's time the war will enter the maximum stalemate, when no one moves anywhere and there is no shelling of Ukrainian territory, then believe me, the issue of elections will quickly reappear on the agenda," Reiterovich explained.

The political analyst believes that Western partners can force Ukraine to hold elections to change the government, which will agree to sign an agreement with Russia.

"It is also quite possible to imagine a situation where our Western partners start talking about the need for elections. Because they will consider it necessary to hold elections in Ukraine and re-elect a government that would be able to sign a peace agreement with Russia. This scenario will be negatively received by the majority of Ukrainian citizens, but it will end the war. Some of our partners may be interested in this. I am talking about the future, fortunately, today there is no such critical mass among our partners," he added.

Elections during the war: what is known

In May 2023, the President of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Tiny Kox, stated that free and fair elections should be held in Ukraine despite the war. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Danilov responded categorically: "There can be no elections, including presidential and parliamentary, in Ukraine during martial law."

In August, Verkhovna Rada Vice Speaker Kornienko said that there are at least three categories of people who will not be able to participate in the elections. The first category is refugees. According to Kornienko, there is simply no infrastructure abroad that would allow everyone to vote. The second category is internally displaced persons. Here, there may be problems with accounting and compiling lists. The third category is the military.

On September 7, NSDC Secretary Danilov said that Ukraine would lose the war if it held elections. "I can say that as soon as campaigners enter the trenches, we will lose. Campaigning cannot be in the trenches, and our people are in the trenches. And the task of the state is quite simple - to ensure that everyone can vote," he said.

At the same time, a number of civil society organizations opposed the elections in Ukraine during the war, noting that the formal act of voting does not equal democracy. Also, 81% of KIIS respondents opposed the elections during the martial law regime.

On November 3, MP Alina Zagoruiko said that the Verkhovna Rada was preparing for elections after the war. In turn, MP Fedir Venislavsky said that if the presidential election were held during the war, there would be grounds to doubt its legitimacy.

On November 7, the Central Election Commission of Ukraine stated that elections could not be held during martial law, so President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would continue to perform his duties until the end of this legal regime.

On January 17, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said that a final decision had been made on the issue of holding elections during martial law.



 
Tags:
Read also:
  • News
2025, Wednesday
15 January
14:53
Germany allocates new aid package for Ukraine: what it includes
14:35
Captured North Korean troops in Ukraine face deadly orders to protect regime secrets
14:17
Exclusive
Russian army uses 6 different missile types in massive January 15 attack on Ukraine - military expert Zgurets
13:59
Russia targets Ukraine with Kh-55SM missiles carrying nuclear warhead simulators
13:36
OPINION
China is exhausting Russia in Ukraine
13:18
Exclusive
Russia seeks to establish foothold, advance in Kupyansk direction - Khortytsia troop grouping
13:00
Russia launches over 40 missiles, 70 drones at Ukraine: Zelenskyy on massive attack
12:42
Exclusive
North Korea will refuse to acknowledge captured soldiers - human rights advocate
12:24
Exclusive
Russian forces take control of most apartment buildings in Ukraine's Toretsk
12:07
Ukraine must be part of any decision about its future - EU top diplomat
11:50
Review
Russia in flames: Ukrainian forces launch largest strike on Russian territory. Serhiy Zgurets' column
11:28
OPINION
Guarantees of Ukraine's disintegration: key takeaways from Lavrov's press conference
11:09
EU shipyards repair Russian Arctic gas tankers despite sanctions - media
10:51
Ukraine reports 170 clashes at front, repels 70 Russian attacks in Pokrovsk sector
10:30
Exclusive
Conscription age in Ukraine may be lowered if partners boost military aid - MP Kniazhytskyi
10:12
Drones target distillery near military training ground in Russia's Tambov region
09:54
Russia's massive missile attack targets critical infrastructure in western Ukraine
09:35
Russia loses 1,580 soldiers, nearly 400 pieces of equipment in one day of war in Ukraine
2025, Tuesday
14 January
21:40
Exclusive
Trump to nullify International Criminal Court warrant by meeting with Putin - expert
21:25
Zelenskyy releases video showing interrogation of captured North Korean soldier
21:10
South Korea ready to take DPRK soldiers captured by Ukraine
20:52
OPINION
Biden took the “safe route”
20:30
NATO starts Baltic Sentry mission, Tusk announces increased presence
20:07
46% of Ukrainians prioritize NATO membership over EU accession – KIIS survey
19:46
Exclusive
“Breaking new ground”: Defense Express on Ukraine’s largest strike on Russian military targets
19:25
Updated
Ukrainian Air Force technicians report mass transfers to infantry; General Staff responds
19:06
Volker expects “decisive approach” in Trump’s Ukraine policy
18:45
Depletion of Russian air defense exposes rear regions to strikes
18:24
Ukrainian exports entered 16 new markets in 2024
17:59
Slovak opposition to call no-confidence vote against Fico government over shift to Russia
17:38
Russia’s military aviation: What happens to 1,100 aircraft not in combat over Ukraine?
17:13
Ukraine may cease to exist in 2025, negotiations should be with U.S., says Putin's aide. Ukraine responds
16:52
Military exercises in Gomel District, Belarus, pose no threat to Ukraine – SBGS
16:34
Ukraine sets up 36 working groups to prepare for EU membership negotiations
16:14
Russian "court" sentences seven Ukrainian POWs involved in Kursk operation
16:03
Updated
Ukraine launches massive strike on Russian military targets, up to 1,100 km deep
15:57
Russian agents exploit families of Ukrainian POWs for sabotage
15:37
Exclusive
'Trump is unpredictable but farsighted': VOA's Myroslava Gongadze on Greenland controversy
15:16
Russian oil tankers stalled as U.S. sanctions bite
14:52
Ukraine's largest long-range strike to date hits key Russian military and industrial sites
More news