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Current Kiev leadership unlikely to hold elections in Ukraine, expert says

Vladimir Zharikhin noted it would hardly be possible to recognize elections as legitimate in the current situation

MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. The current Kiev leadership will not be willing or able to hold elections in Ukraine, Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of Russia’s Institute of CIS Countries, told TASS.

"Kiev will definitely create numerous obstacles to conducting elections in the territory it controls," he noted, commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement about Moscow’s readiness to suspend strikes inside Ukraine for the country’s elections.

Zharikhin pointed to a number of conditions that have to be met for elections to take place. "People should vote wisely. But for that to happen, all candidates need to have the right to distribute campaign materials, and they also need to have immunity," the analyst specified. However, he expressed doubt that the current Ukrainian authorities would be able to meet those conditions, particularly for candidates promoting peace as it would run counter to Kiev’s position.

"I think it will hardly be possible to recognize elections as legitimate in the current situation," Zharikhin concluded.

Ukrainian elections

Putin said during his combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference headlined "Results of the Year" that Russia was ready to consider suspending strikes inside Ukraine on the voting day if the country held elections. According to him, the number of Ukrainians residing in Russia is estimated at five to ten million and they should have the opportunity to cast their ballots.

Zelensky’s presidential term officially expired on May 20, 2024, but Kiev chose not to hold an election, claiming that it’s impossible as long as martial law was in place.

Trump stated on December 9 that the time had come for Ukraine to hold elections. The US president argued that Kiev was taking advantage of the conflict to delay the process. Zelensky said on the same day that he was ready to hold elections but it would require legislative changes and measures to ensure security so that service members could also cast their ballots. He asked parliament members to prepare "legislative amendments," and called on the US and Europe to ensure the safety of the vote.

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