Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-year term officially ended on Monday, May 20, but the wartime leader is continuing to remain in power.
In an interview with Reuters, Zelensky explained that his term is actually not over yet because martial law was imposed after Russia invaded the country on Feb. 24, 2022, which prohibits presidential, parliamentary, and local elections from taking place.
Due to the resources that would have to be diverted from defense purposes to carry out an election, Zelensky said last year "now is not the time."
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.
Zelensky said in his address that the country needed to focus on the war and that political disagreements should be put aside, as Russia would seek to take advantage of any splits.
“Now everyone should be thinking of defending our country,” he said.
More than 80% of Ukrainians say elections should be held only after the end of the war, according to an October survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, an independent pollster.
Zelensky would likely win any election as he is by far the country’s most popular politician owing to his wartime leadership. Still, trust in the president fell to 76% in October from 91% in May, according to KIIS, amid signs of a military deadlock and the emergence of cracks in political unity. (WSJ)
Critics in the West are nevertheless questioning why U.S. taxpayers are forking over billions to "defend democracy" in the country.
Zelensky is now a dictator in Ukraine since his term officially expired yesterday and he canceled elections.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) May 21, 2024
This is not democracy and American taxpayers should not be forced to fund Ukraine’s government $1 billion/month and nearly $200 billion for a war they can’t win.
Zelensky banned opposing political parties and will now continue to remain in office without an election because of his own declaration of martial law.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 22, 2024
Thank God we've spent over $200 billion to defend democracy in Ukraine.
But I thought we were there to “uphold democracy”?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 21, 2024
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