MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. The Kiev regime is unlikely to make any meaningful movement towards holding a presidential election in Ukraine this year, and no amount of pressure from US President Donald Trump will help amid European stonewalling, Vladimir Zharikhin, Deputy Director of the CIS Institute, told TASS.
In his opinion, Ukraine won’t get a new president any time soon.
Earlier, The Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that Ukraine, under pressure from the US administration, had begun planning to hold presidential elections and a referendum on peace agreements with Russia by May 15. The newspaper suggested that an official announcement could be made as early as February 24. However, Vladimir Zelensky quickly denied these reports. Commenting on the situation, Zharikhin dismissed the newspaper's scenario as unrealistic.
"Zelensky’s primary condition has always been and remains a ceasefire – an end to hostilities – during the elections. However, without a hard agreement, Russia is unlikely to accept a ceasefire solely for electoral purposes. It’s a vicious cycle," the expert explained, emphasizing that no immediate progress should be anticipated. "Given the current circumstances, it’s hard to see how this could realistically happen."
Additionally, Zharikhin dismissed the prospect of the Trump administration effectively pressuring Kiev to hold elections this year. "They have leverage, but unfortunately, there is also counter-pressure from European Union countries, which often works in the opposite direction," he noted.
In the expert’s view, the issue of Ukraine’s presidential election will remain "on the back burner" for the foreseeable future.