Though the end of his five-year term is approaching, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday the war-torn country will not hold elections in March, arguing it’s just “not the right time.”
“We must realize that now is the time of defense, the time of the battle that determines the fate of the state and people, not the time of manipulations, which only Russia expects from Ukraine. I believe that now is not the right time for elections,” he said in his address.
“And if we need to put an end to a political dispute and continue to work in unity, there are structures in the state that are capable of putting an end to it and giving society all the necessary answers. So that there is no room left for conflicts and someone else’s game against Ukraine,” Zelensky added.
The 45-year-old took office in 2019, meaning presidential elections should normally have been held early next year. But elections cannot take place in Ukraine under martial law, which was declared after Russia invaded in February last year. […]
Ukrainian officials said the possibility of holding elections was considered, but challenges were many and large, including financing and logistics. Around six million Ukrainians remain abroad after fleeing the invasion. Russia holds around one-fifth of the country’s territory. Ukraine has hundreds of thousands of soldiers under arms along a 600-mile front. (Wall Street Journal)
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Zelensky’s announcement comes after he has repeatedly claimed the country is fighting for “freedom and democracy.”
In August, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called on him to hold elections despite the challenges to demonstrate its commitment to these values.
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