Kyiv signals election readiness in bid to counter Putin’s game

UKRAINE - In Brief 31 Mar 2025 by Dmytro Boyarchuk

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The Economist reported that Volodymyr Zelenskiy has instructed his team to prepare for elections as early as this summer. Allegedly, Parliament may lift Martial Law in May, following a potential ceasefire expected to begin on April 20th. Frankly, as of today, all of this sounds like a highly unrealistic scenario. Russia continues to bomb Ukrainian cities relentlessly, with drone and missile attacks targeting both civilians and infrastructure. Few believe a sustainable ceasefire is possible without serious security guarantees. In this context, lifting Martial Law could trigger a new wave of migration among military-age men who have not yet been mobilized or have evaded conscription. And honestly, it's hard to imagine the overheated Russian war machine coming to a halt in just 20 days—simply because Donald Trump says so. I would say that the Ukrainian leadership believes Zelenskiy's approval rating is rising, and they feel confident enough to promise elections—if proper security conditions are met. In doing so, they are essentially passing the ball to the U.S., signaling: “Now it’s your responsibility to make it possible for us to fulfill your demand.” At the same time, it doesn’t seem like the Ukrainian leadership truly believes Trump will succeed in securing a sustainable ceasefire. Preparing for genuine elections under current conditions is not a matter of weeks—or even months, especially if there’s a second round. Unless, of course, Zelenskiy simply stages a re-election process, which he may be entirely comfortable with. In other words, all the talk appears to be a continued maneuver by the Ukrainian leadership to avoid open confrontation with the U.S. administration...