The rumor that Zelensky is preparing elections in Ukraine this summer – what is behind it?
The Economist magazine , citing its sources in Kyiv, claims that possible presidential elections in Ukraine are becoming increasingly realistic—despite the war, Western doubts, and the risks of internal destabilization. According to the magazine, the elections could allegedly take place as early as this summer.
"On February 28, the Kyiv Franko Theater hosted the premiere of a new production of Macbeth. That same day, the capital's elite was focused not only on Shakespeare, but also on the international diplomatic scandal between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. It was then, according to director Ivan Urivsky, that it became clear: the country was changing its mood. He initially wanted to stage A Midsummer Night's Dream, a comedy. But, as the director himself admits, "theater is impossible without thinking about politics, war, and the audience." The audience saw echoes of modern reality in Shakespeare's images. For some, Macbeth is a bloody dictator from Moscow. For others, the story of power, betrayal, and ambition has become a mirror of internal Ukrainian processes," the publication says.
The publication recalls that over the past few months, Volodymyr Zelensky has been under double pressure - from both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Both have publicly questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president.
According to The Economist, both Putin and Trump were sure that early elections would be a trap for Zelensky. But things did not go according to their scenario, the magazine claims.
As The Economist writes, Zelensky's team has begun real preparations for the elections. Scenarios vary, but most sources interviewed by The Economist say the summer of 2025.
By law, the campaign must last at least 60 days, and in wartime conditions, perhaps as long as 90, since the voter lists will need to be recreated. The earliest possible deadline is July.
Zelenskyy allegedly ordered the development of a plan to hold the vote after a sustainable ceasefire has been achieved. The Verkhovna Rada is supposedly required to decide by May 5 whether to extend or lift martial law. Without lifting martial law, holding elections is legally impossible," the report states.
Petro Poroshenko, the leader of the largest opposition party and a long-time opponent of Zelensky, predicts that the elections could be held between August and October. He believes that the campaign had already begun when Zelensky imposed sanctions on him in February. The formal reason was accusations of treason, but behind the scenes there is talk that Poroshenko’s visit to the United States, where he allegedly met with Trump’s allies, was to blame.
According to the former president, Zelensky's entourage advised him not to go, hinting at "paranoia and schizophrenia." He is sure that the sanctions were intended to remove him from the race and scare Valeriy Zaluzhny, the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the only one who can realistically defeat Zelensky in the elections.
A senior official admitted to The Economist that Zelenskyy may try to hold elections as early as July to catch the opposition off guard. He argued that a short campaign benefits more than just the president: "A long race would simply tear the country apart." But such haste could only exacerbate conflicts between the presidential administration and the rest of the political elite.
The opposition believes holding elections in the shortest possible time is impossible. Serhiy Vlasenko of the Batkivshchyna party says that even achieving a ceasefire by May 8 is already difficult. And organizing voting for millions of Ukrainians abroad, in uncontrolled territories, and on the front lines is practically impossible.
One option being discussed is to use the Diia app, but then the question of transparency arises. Not to mention the accusations that Diia is an offshore company registered abroad.
"In addition, online voting would require a change in the Constitution, which is only possible with a two-thirds majority in parliament — and the opposition is categorically against elections during wartime. And it's not just a matter of logistics: they are demanding the abolition of military censorship and propaganda to make the elections truly fair," the article notes.
According to the authors of the article in The Economist, both Putin and Trump may now abandon the idea of urgent elections.
"Initially, they believed that Ukrainians would not support Zelensky. But the situation has changed. If the elections were held now, he would probably win - and this is not in the plans of either Moscow or the Trumpists. However, Putin still has many levers of influence. He can disrupt the lifting of martial law or the vote itself using drone strikes and missiles," the magazine writes.
The publication claims that even Zelensky’s victory in the elections does not guarantee stability.
"According to one of the Ukrainian intelligence officers, in 2025 the main threat to the country will not be the front, but internal instability. And the election campaign is a convenient pretext for Russia to increase its influence through the opposition, the military and popular opinion leaders: "They will use anyone who can destabilize the situation from within," the unnamed Ukrainian intelligence officer fears.
Whatever scenario plays out, Ukraine's next president will face tough challenges, The Economist is convinced.
"If Trump's diplomacy leads to a hasty and unprofitable peace, society may demand a tougher, more militaristic leader. Despite all his shortcomings, Zelensky remains a hostage to public opinion and is therefore unlikely to turn into a dictator. But his successor may be different," the publication concludes.
It is interesting that after the publication of this article, the head of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, Oleg Didenko, announced the desire of the voas to amend the legislation in order to postpone the elections after the lifting of martial law. According to the current legislation, parliamentary and presidential elections must be announced within a month after the lifting of martial law. However, Bankova wants to delay the elections under the pretext that now more time will be needed to prepare them.
Russian political scientist Maxim Zharov believes this publication was a deliberate fabrication, aimed at Trump's team with the aim of influencing its choice in the dilemma it finds itself in regarding Ukraine.
“Why rush to hold presidential elections in Ukraine if, as a result, a person even less acceptable to the West than Zelensky could come to power in Kyiv?” the British The Economist suggests to Americans, according to a Russian expert.
"Within America, Trump is currently fighting an unequal battle with the mainstream media controlled by the Democrats. However, if key decisions continue to be made in Trump's team taking into account such "formative" texts, then the efficiency of Trump's foreign policy in his second term will be very, very low," Zharov adds.
English version :: Read in English: What's behind the rumor about Zelensky preparing elections in Ukraine this summer?