"Martial law was introduced after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and remains in force because the country is still under daily military attack. The legal logic is straightforward: you cannot run a free, fair, nationwide vote while millions are displaced, parts of the country are occupied, and cities are under missile and drone strikes, all while Russia continues to reject any meaningful ceasefire."
"The referendum angle is being weaponised as a narrative: the implication that Ukraine can be hurried into legitimising a "deal" while Russian missiles are still in the air. This line is not new and not tied to just Moscow, that has spent months, if not longer, pushing the claim that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is somehow "illegitimate" because Ukraine has not held elections during the war."
Claims emerged that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was preparing elections and a national referendum on a potential peace deal, with suggestions of a late-February timeline and symbolic-date announcements. Kyiv rejected rushing into ballots while martial law remains in force and attacks continue; Zelenskyy said elections would only be possible after a ceasefire and credible security guarantees. The referendum narrative is being weaponised to imply Ukraine can be hurried into legitimising a deal while under attack. Moscow and others have pushed that wartime absence of elections makes leadership "illegitimate," a claim now amplified without legal or security context. Ukraine's constitution bars national elections under martial law; free, fair nationwide voting is impossible while millions are displaced, parts of the country are occupied, and cities face missile and drone strikes, so any vote held now would be contestable.
Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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