According to Kuchma, this is what could have prompted the Kremlin to try to occupy Ukraine.
“What he did did not suit [нелегитимного президента РФ Владимира] Putin, because if it suited him, he would not have attacked,” he believes.
Kuchma noted that Zelensky no longer turns to him for advice, as he did at the beginning of his tenure, and this is “very good.”
“Having all the information, communicating with top military commanders and the most advanced experts, seeking advice from someone who retired from active affairs twenty years ago would be strange, if not irresponsible… I don’t know exactly what Zelensky’s plans for the presidency were, but his tenure was broken in the middle by a full-scale war, and now everything is different: the country, the economy, society, and the world,” the ex-president said.
When asked whether Zelensky needs to participate in the elections again, Kuchma answered evasively.
“I don’t know what he will decide. I only know that Ukraine will benefit from his world-class authority even after the war. And I know that he is still a very young man – almost a decade younger than I was when I first became president… I can only warn Vladimir that he probably already understands perfectly well: peace will not be easier than war,” added the former head of state.
Context
The next presidential elections in Ukraine were scheduled to take place in the spring of 2024. However, in Art. 19 hThe Ukrainian law on the legal regime of martial law states that under martial law (this regime in Ukraine has been in effect since February 24, 2022), it is prohibited to hold presidential and parliamentary elections.
Western partners talked about the need to hold elections in Ukraine in 2024, but Zelensky explained that for this it is necessary to make changes to the Electoral Code, as well as find funds to organize the elections. In addition, for them to be legitimate, observers need to be sent to the front lines.
Zelensky has repeatedly said that he is ready for elections. In February 2024, he expressed the opinion that he would have won. “Now I have the greatest support in society. Therefore, if we hold elections now, people will choose me. Don’t say that I’m trying to stay in power. I would win the elections if they took place,” Zelensky said then.
