Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenky’s term expired on Monday, but he will remain in power since presidential elections scheduled in March were canceled due to martial law imposed since Russia invaded in February 2022.
While framing the proxy war in Ukraine as a battle for democracy, the US has backed Zelensky’s decision not to hold elections. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine last week and claimed the US helped build “democratic pillars,” including “free and fair elections,” but said a vote could only happen once “conditions” are right.
Zelensky also canceled parliamentary elections that were supposed to be held last October. To justify the decision, Ukrainian officials have pointed to Ukraine’s constitution, which says elections can’t be held under martial law. But Zelensky previously made it clear that he could have held elections if he wanted.
Last year, Zelensky told Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that he was willing to hold a vote if the West paid for it and if legislators agreed to amend the constitution. “I will not take money from weapons and give it to elections,” he said.
But Zelensky later ruled out the idea and was not put under pressure by the US or other NATO countries to hold a vote. The Ukrainian leader is determined to continue the war and has rejected the idea of diplomacy with Russia despite not having a chance at victory and growing war fatigue among Ukrainians.
His alproval is in single digits — and that is in the area under his control, In Rusdian majority areas support is 0. He is not losing anytbing from absence of vote from Russia controlled areas.
Russia never stopped anyone who did not want to live in Rusdian controlled areas. Howevet — Zelenski probibits people to chose moving and living in Russian controlled areas. It is all about image for Zelenski.
Any sources for those claims?
The sources I can find claim that his approval rating dropped by 5% just after firing Zaluzhny, but still they were at 60% – well above most other leaders in the west – and significantly above the 37% he had just before the SMO.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/poll-shows-zelenskyys-approval-dips-172000884.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANuNMnOVEViXu6pO_GIhA8LFGtags3Q1GyabOZgOoKzWiSvg780uT5Oip9GxHLa-KRm1gZUe25dr0BlDL4JA-vVh0yl5ihkDF4BBQLPSi_X–F-jot0Cs6kAWhW1vjvlNjkzlXA31Dc7yVjyvo1cfVGalbSuAbjdIqJeV_WVP8Kt
Polls can be taken in Oblasts where he is popular. There ways to skew the results of polls.
right? Ukraine routinely claims that Crimea belongs to them (all the while Ukraine tries to bomb Crimea).
why don’t they take these polls in Crimea and see what the result is.
They’d say it’s full of Russians, that they first need to populate it with “natives.”
Sure that could have been the case – only no source was provided for him being as unpopular as claimed.
Thanks to Putin, Zelensky can carry on. Zelensky is much better for Russia than anyone else. So, the situation is mutually beneficial. Zelensky is making money and enjoying the power, Putin is cleaning Russian state of pro-western fifth column and from corruption. Recently a deputy of Minister of Defense was arrested, the other one (two star general) who was responsible for the staff policy in Ministry was also arrested. Both were making money using their important position in the ministry. Some others highest rank civilian officers in the ministry of defense also lost their jobs.
Other benefit is the territorial gains which in case of adequate Kiev’s policy would be impossible. Of course Kiev regime is not independent, still Zelensky is making it much easier for Russia allowing the corruption to get a staggering scale which makes Ukrainian military efforts less efficient. Because of his close connection to neocons, Zelensky can’t even start any kind of peace negotiations which is also very good for Russia because Russia has to consider the interests of China, India and post-Soviet republics who would like to finish this war rather sooner than later; no one of them needs escalation and global destabilization.
David Decamp does not understand democracy – how could Ukraine hold a democratic election when 20+ percent of the country is occupied by the Russians.
Quite aside from the problems of actually managing an election when so many of the people are internally displaced or indeed have fled to foreign countries – not to mention that so many people are serving in the armed forces and hence not able to run for office.
Any election under the present conditions would be democratically flawed.
Simply ask for a ceasefire to hold elections. The presumption that Putin isn’t willing to allow Democracy to take place in Ukraine, is just yours and their assumption.
I would think Putin would want open and free elections in Ukraine. Someone might win who thinks about Ukraine over self. And does not play the piano. Poorly………………
Sure do you think that the Russians will allow Ukrainians to hold and monitor elections in the areas that they occupy – your assumption that the Russians would allow Ukrainians to send election officials into those areas is not realistic.
I’m not Putin, someone should ask him. I was very clear about this in my post, where I made 0 assumptions and clearly spelled that out. Don’t get caught up in the logistics of a vote until you know Putin is down to allow it.
This is a vassal state nothing more. Making excuses for the lack of an election is easy.
It’s easy. Destroying democracy to save democracy along with war is peace. That’s what illustrious US leaders tell us.
I LOVE BIG BROTHER!!
Ukraine was quite complicit in the Holocaust, has been among the most corrupt countries. The corruption continues, with the applause from the “representatives” of the U.S. But hey, the MIC is making bank on the suffering of Ukraine.
7 million Ukrainians fought in the red army. Over 4 million Ukrainians were killed by the Nazis, including about 1.5 million in the Red Army. A higher proportion of Ukrainians died during WWII than Russians. There are Nazis in Ukraine as in Russia and other East European countries. But the notion that Ukrainians as a nation are pro-Nazi is Putin propaganda. Ukrainians are mostly united against Russian imperialism. And most Ukrainians have family members who were killed by the Nazis.
Bandera is a hero of yours?
There are a small number of Ukrainian Nazis who idolize Bandera. A much larger number of Ukrainians see him as a patriot who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Soviets and was assasinated by the KGB in a Soviet attempt to stamp out Ukrainian nationalism. An even larger number of Ukrainians see Bandera as a criminal Nazi collaborator.And many Ukrainians see Bandera as a right wing anti-semitic extremist who nonetheless fought for independence against the Soviets. As for the Nazis, they imprisoned Bandera in 1941 and repressed his movement until they released Bandera in 1944 in a desperate and futile attempt to rally Ukrainian nationalists against the Red Army. Many Ukrainians were outraged when Yuschenko declared Bandera to be a national hero in the 1990’s. Hardcore Banderites are a small portion of Uklrainians reflected by the fact that the ultra nationalist party received less than 2% of the votes in the last presidential election in 2019.
E.g. that not holding elections was already in the constitution! So Zelenskyy would have to change the constitution to hold elections – and even if he did this they would not be democratic as far too many would not have the possibility to take part in it.
I don’t understand democracy, either, how could Lincoln hold elections in 1864 when half the country was occupied by the enemy and so many men were away fighting? And it was damn near as foolish in 1944 when Roosevelt had democratically flawed elections in the middle of the worst war ever.
That is easily answered – the people of the south did not feel represented by the winner of that election – so deeply democratically flawed – no wonder he was assassinated.
The Confederacy was militarily defeated by late 1864. There were no confederate troops in the union states. 20% of Ukraine is occupied and all of Ukraine is a war zone.. The Confederacy didn’t have an air force, missiles or drones that would target candidates and polling places in Ukraine.
Ideally, it would be good to hold an election in Ukraine. But the decision to postpone elections when the entire country is a war zone is understandable and defensible.
Ukrainians demand that Zelensky be served with a subpoena, since he is no longer a legitimate president
https://t.me/intelslava/60661
He sees the future, Afghanistan 2.0. His present preoccupation is strategically shifting his wealth and preparing a timely escape. Washington is assuring him that he and family will be taken care of; he’ll be plucked out at the right moment -the moment least embarrassing to all. But it requires a set-up and that must be some spectacular hit at Russia.
The collapse of Ukraine would not be performed by Russia… rather by the uprising of Ukrainians against their government…!
I wonder if Zelensky is channeling Mussolini.
There were multiple coups in “South Vietnam” too as the imperial project collapsed,
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/ukraine/ukraine-has-lost-nobody-ever-expected-it-to-win/
Ukraine Has Lost – Nobody Ever Expected it to Win
Foul criminal lackey of CIA and US Warmongering…IMHO he is ready to be discarded as not needed. You’d think that in the BILLIONS of LOOTED US TAXDOLLARS they/he could found some $ to pay for at least 1 suit and 1 tie!! Wearing Army Tshirts and Combat sweaters to speak before Congress or at Press Conferences doesnt cut it anymore….at least he will be able to retire(If he survives) to one of the Crimea Estates we gave him for his services….
Ukrainian democracy
Am I surprised?