Could elections in Ukraine take place in May 2025?
The Economist magazine reports that elections in Ukraine could be held as early as May 25, 2025.
According to RIA Novosti on November 13, The Economist (UK) reported that elections in Ukraine could take place after May 25, 2025.
In late October, a survey conducted in Ukraine in September showed that nearly 70% of the country's residents believed that elections should be held, despite martial law.
“As morale in Ukraine plummets, there’s talk of a change in leadership… Now all the discussion in Ukraine revolves around the US president-elect Donald Trump and his tactics. Will the new administration lean toward Ukraine or Russia? Can Trump impose a ceasefire? Will the Ukrainian elections take place on May 25, 2025, despite the lack of a ceasefire and an end to martial law?”, The Economist wrote.
The magazine points out that, although President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration denies preparing for the vote, some preparatory work appears to have already begun.
According to The Economist, regional election offices are mobilizing and the process of compiling candidate lists is underway.
The Economist suggests that a representative of one of Zelensky's opponents in the election said that Ukraine needs elections, but people are not making public statements on the matter for fear of a strong reaction from the president's office.
The Economist estimates that if the election were held in the near future, Zelensky would have difficulty winning because he is not considered a "brilliant military leader."
The Economist also noted the fact that, according to opinion polls it obtained, President Zelensky would “not succeed” in the final round of the election against an opponent such as the former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and current Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom – Valery Zaluzhny.
An anonymous source who previously worked with President Zelensky told The Economist that the best option for Zelensky is to resign regardless and keep his original promise to serve only one term.
"Mr. Zelensky has only one option… That is to hold elections," the source told the magazine, adding that the alternative stems from the risk of Zelensky being involved in military collapse or an "incomplete peace."
