The story about the May elections in Ukraine sounds good. The problem is that it's fiction [OPINIA]
Although few editorial offices in the world can boast such impressive effectiveness in revealing behind-the-scenes information as the Financial Times, this article rather showed how little it understands the realities of Ukraine and what is actually happening in the country.
What's more, it's the anniversary of the full-scale invasion itself [przypadająca na 24 lutego] This is a date of great, painful importance for Ukrainians – completely inappropriate for conducting political games.
Safety first, ballot boxes second
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026.GIAN EHRENZELLER / PAP
Experts also estimate that even after a ceasefire, organizing elections would take at least half a year. Just recreating voter lists and preparing polling stations – both in the country and abroad, where millions of Ukrainians are today – requires huge organizational and financial outlays. This is an undertaking that cannot be completed in a few weeks.
Of course, the Kremlin could consider an unfavorable result as “illegal” at any time. Vladimir Putin has long been repeating that since Zelensky's term formally expired in 2024, he holds office unlawfully. It ignores the fact that the Ukrainian constitution provides for the incumbent president to continue to perform his duties as long as martial law is in force.
Fantasies of controlled choices
Apart from Putin's obvious hypocrisy in calling the democratically elected leader illegitimate, the Kremlin is not concerned about the length of Zelensky's term in office. The problem is that this political novice, whom many did not take seriously, turned out to be an exceptionally tough and unyielding opponent.
Importantly, even among Zelensky's potential rivals, there is no politician in Ukraine today who would be ready to meet the Kremlin's expectations. Those times are gone – and everything seems to indicate that they are gone forever.
Russian ideas to influence the outcome of future elections by creating polling stations in Russia for Ukrainians who fled east from the war are pure fantasy. It is difficult to imagine that Kyiv would ever agree to this. That won't stop Moscow from using this as an excuse not to recognize the election results when they finally take place.
“Nine women will not give birth to one child in a month”
Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation Kirill Dmitriev and United States Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, December 2, 2025.KRISTINA KORMILITSINA / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL / PAP
In order not to be perceived as an obstacle to the peace process in the eyes of Washington, the Ukrainian authorities felt obliged to present an accelerated election schedule as a goodwill gesture.
However, figuratively speaking, even nine women will not give birth to one child in a month. There are limits to what can be done in such a short time.
It is possible that it was such courtesy brainstorming sessions, conducted as if for show, that reached the Financial Times journalists, who recognized them as Zelensky's official position.
The one who demands blocks
Ukrainian society, highly politicized and full of emotions, really longs for the opportunity to vote again. The long-term absence of elections has caused specific “withdrawal symptoms” that only partially alleviate discussions on social media.
Above all, the elections would mean one thing: that the long-awaited and hard-fought peace has finally become a fact. After going through the trauma of the war, Ukraine will have to answer the question of what the new elections will look like, which parties will field candidates and how much their programs will differ from those before the war.
The paradox is that the entity that most loudly demands elections in Ukraine is also the main obstacle to holding them. Not only is Russia not ending the war, but it is not even willing to agree to a ceasefire that would enable peace negotiations. As Putin cynically stated in December: “We are ready to consider ensuring security during elections in Ukraine, at least refraining from attacks deep into its territory on voting day.”
Taking all this into account, it can be said with a high degree of certainty that imminent elections in Ukraine are out of the question at this point – regardless of the assurances of anonymous sources talking to foreign correspondents in Kiev.
Therefore, he will not start the election campaign on February 24.
It will begin the fifth year of brutal war.
