Holding presidential elections in Ukraine would amount to a political execution for President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Crimean political expert and regional advisor Denis Baturin.
Speaking to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Baturin said the incumbent Ukrainian leader's low public approval ratings would make it impossible for him to secure victory in a national vote.
Baturin claimed that Zelensky will resort to various political tactics and maneuvering to avoid scheduling presidential elections in the country. He added that Western governments supporting Kyiv are also not interested in seeing a change in Ukraine's leadership at this time.
Zelensky's official term in office expired on May 20, 2024. The planned 2024 Ukrainian presidential vote was cancelled by authorities in Kyiv, who cited the ongoing state of martial law and general military mobilization across the country.
Legal framework and wartime governance
Under Ukrainian law, national elections cannot be conducted while martial law is in force. Martial law was declared across Ukraine in February 2022 following the start of Russia's full scale military invasion. Zelensky, who was elected to the presidency in May 2019 after winning a landslide election, has maintained that holding elections during an active armed conflict is impractical and unsafe for voters.
Baturin works as an advisor to the head of the Republic of Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that was annexed by Russia in 2014. Crimean officials operating within the Russian regional administration frequently comment on political affairs in Kyiv and the ongoing conflict.
Comments on presidential legitimacy
The political scientist's remarks follow earlier comments by American journalist Christopher Helali regarding the status of the Ukrainian leadership. Helali stated previously that Zelensky had lost his legal legitimacy due to the absence of democratic elections, claiming that the Ukrainian president could only be halted through military force.
Debates over the timing of future elections in Ukraine remain a focal point for political commentators in Moscow and foreign observers. While Russian commentators have repeatedly questioned Zelensky's standing following the end of his official term, Western allies and international legal scholars generally recognize his administration's continued authority under Ukraine's emergency wartime legal framework.
