Only now, they aren’t just worried about their longtime enemy.
Many Ukrainians who have been forced to leave their homes and are now living in other countries would find it challenging to take part in the elections. This is also true for the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians residing in regions occupied by Russia, who would face great difficulties in exercising their right to vote.
With approximately 800,000 Ukrainians currently enlisted in the military, they would encounter obstacles in casting their votes without compromising the country’s defense capabilities. Moreover, individuals actively involved in military operations would be disqualified from running for political positions, a privilege granted by Ukrainian legislation.
Valerii Pekar, a professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, emphasized the detrimental consequences of holding elections prior to reaching a peace agreement backed by assurances of security for Ukraine.
“The US and Russia are now united in promoting the idea of ‘elections first, then peace’ — which is the quickest and cheapest way to bring Ukraine down.”
