Ukraine Panics As Russia & US Call For Elections To Be Held

 

🇺🇦 Ukrainian officials fear an alignment between 🇷🇺 Moscow and 🇺🇸 Washington could shut them out of the discussion about their country’s future.

Moscow has joined Washington in calling for Ukraine to hold elections, sparking concern in Kyiv as it attempts to fend off Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion.

The surprising alignment has stoked fears in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin is aiming to play Kyiv and Washington off against each other over how to proceed to end the war.

Over the weekend, United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said: “In most democracies, elections take place even during wartime. I think it’s important. I believe it’s good for democracy.

The beauty of a strong democracy is having more than one potential candidate.”

Moscow, where Putin has frequently declared that he does not recognize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a legitimate leader rowed in behind Kellogg on Monday, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov telling reporters in Moscow that “President Zelenskyy’s term of office has ended.”

He said that the “legitimization of Ukraine’s leadership” would be necessary as part of any peace process.

Kyiv, for its part, fears that holding elections at this juncture would imperil Ukrainian cohesion and open the country up to destabilizing Russian influence campaigns.

Kellogg’s remarks, and the Kremlin’s quick embrace of them, have set off alarm bells.

A former Ukrainian minister, who was granted anonymity to freely discuss the sensitive subject, told POLITICO that “the alignment on elections between Washington and Moscow is worrisome,” adding, “I see it as the first evidence that Trump and Putin agree that they want Zelenskyy out.”

The Kremlin didn’t make clear if peace negotiations are conditional on Ukraine holding elections, or what sequence Russia has in mind, but Moscow said until political legitimacy has been established no final deal could be agreed.

Kellogg, also, wasn’t clear on the sequencing of elections and ending hostilities.