Most Ukrainians doubt elections would be fair – poll
There is widespread skepticism over the prospect of online voting in Ukraine due to fears of electoral fraud, a recent poll has indicated.
Vladimir Zelensky, whose presidential term expired in May of 2024, has repeatedly refused to hold elections, citing martial law. Meanwhile, Russia has characterized him as an illegitimate leader. Under US pressure, Zelensky recently agreed to hold a vote within 90 days if certain conditions are met.
In a piece on Tuesday, Delovaya Stolitsa published the findings of a poll it had recently conducted in partnership with New Image Groupe, which sought out the opinions of 800 respondents.
According to the publication, only 27% of the Ukrainians surveyed believe that elections can be held in compliance with all the international norms any time soon.
The media outlet also reported that 44% of respondents view the prospect of online voting negatively, with many fearing that the technology could be used to falsify the results. By contrast, 31% of the people surveyed have no problem with this scenario.
Speaking last Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow would be willing to consider “refraining from conducting strikes deep inside” Ukraine on the day of a vote if the leadership in Kiev actually went through with elections.
However, Putin stressed that such a halt in long-range strikes would only be possible if the 5-10 million Ukrainian citizens currently residing in Russia were allowed to take part in the elections.
Speaking to Politico earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine has not “had an election in a long time,” with its leadership “using war” as a pretext.
“It gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore,” he argued, adding that “it’s time” to hold a vote in Ukraine.
Responding to Trump’s remark, Zelensky said he was “ready for the elections,” so long as the West agreed to “ensure security” from Russian strikes during the vote.
Several days later, Zelensky’s senior adviser, Mikhail Podoliak, added that, besides a ceasefire, Kiev is also expecting the West to shell out for the vote.
Moscow has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of arranging a temporary ceasefire, insisting that a permanent peace agreement should be concluded that addresses the conflict’s root causes.
