Could Ukraine elections take place in May 2025?
The Economist magazine said that elections in Ukraine could be held as early as May 25, 2025.
According to RIA Novosti on November 13, The Economist magazine (UK) said that elections in Ukraine may 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 believe that elections should be held, despite martial law.
“As morale in Ukraine plummets, talk of a change in leadership is rife… All the talk in Ukraine now is about US President-elect Donald Trump and his tactics. Will the new administration lean towards Ukraine or Russia? Will Trump be able to impose a ceasefire? Will Ukraine’s elections on 25 May 2025 take place, despite the absence of a ceasefire and an end to martial law?” The Economist wrote.
The magazine points out that, although the administration of President Volodymyr Zelensky denies preparing for the vote, some preparations appear to have begun.
According to the Economist, regional election headquarters are mobilizing and work is underway to compile candidate lists.
The Economist reported that a representative of one of Mr. Zelensky's opponents in the election said that Ukraine needed elections, but people did not make public statements on the issue for fear of a harsh reaction from the president's office.
The Economist estimates that if elections are held in the near future, Mr. Zelensky will have difficulty winning because he is not considered a “talented military leader.”
The Economist also notes the fact that, according to the results of opinion polls available to this publication, President Zelensky will “fail” in the final round of elections against such a rival as the former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and currently the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK – Valery Zaluzhny.
An anonymous source who has worked with President Zelensky told The Economist that the best option for Mr Zelensky would be to resign regardless and keep his original promise to serve only one term.
“Zelensky has only one option… to hold elections,” the source told the magazine, adding that the alternative comes from the risk of Zelensky being linked to a military collapse or “incomplete peace.”