Ukraine Baffled by Western Pressure to Hold Elections During War 

Ukraine has come under pressure from some Western politicians to hold scheduled parliamentary and presidential elections despite the war, but the opposition and civil society organisations argue such a vote would favour incumbent parties and potentially skew the result by making it hard for its citizen-soldiers and refugees to participate.

As if fighting a war with a brutal invader and having to work hard to sustain international support was not enough of a task, Ukrainian authorities and President Volodymir Zelenskyy have come under rising pressure from some Western politicians to organise parliamentary and presidential elections, allegedly to underline Ukraine’s democratic credentials.

For most Ukrainians, these demands are baffling. The country is displaying unprecedented unity in focusing on the war effort, and its political elites, civil society organisations and the broader public share the view that holding an election under bombs and with citizen-soldiers at the front is not a priority but certainly a huge logistical and security challenge.

US Republicans lead the call for elections  

Parliamentary elections were scheduled for this October, while the presidential one for spring 2024. The Ukrainian constitution and laws governing the conduct of war effectively bar the country from holding elections during martial law, which parliament imposed at the start of Russia’s aggression in February 2022.