"Science Fiction": Rada denies preparation for spring 2025 elections
Sources in the Verkhovna Rada believe that holding presidential elections in May next year, as reported by The Economist, is impossible.
The Verkhovna Rada denies the possibility of holding presidential elections in the spring of 2025 / Photo: Yaroslav Zheleznyak / Facebook
There will be no national elections in Ukraine next spring due to several reasons. The date of May 25, 2025, proposed by The Economist, is unrealistic.
This was reported by NV citing influential sources within the ruling Servant of the People party.
“Science fiction category,” commented one source on the British journalists' information.
According to the source, even if the Rada does not extend martial law in February 2025, the country would need at least six months to organize elections. Thus, in the most optimistic scenario, the presidential election could occur no earlier than August 2025.
“I don’t believe it either, as there will be no magical solutions. And if it ends up being August, then we’re close to the scheduled local elections (on the last Sunday of October 2025). So, it’s likely both elections will coincide, as it would significantly save costs,” the deputy noted.
A source close to the President's Office also expressed doubts, citing the six months required for election preparation, making a May date impractical.
“No one is seriously preparing for elections, as scenarios involving a ceasefire aren’t realistically considered,” the source emphasized.
Chair of the Verkhovna Rada’s Foreign Policy Committee, Oleksandr Merezhko (Servant of the People faction), speculated that The Economist might be influenced by Trump’s desire to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table for at least a temporary conflict freeze. This could enable martial law to be lifted and elections to proceed, though Merezhko doubts such an outcome.
“Putin doesn’t want peace. As long as the dictator remains in power, he won’t abandon his goal of destroying Ukraine,” Merezhko stated.
Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Head of the Rada’s Committee on Freedom of Speech (Holos faction), notes that there are currently no legal or security grounds to hold elections in spring 2025.
“We can’t hold elections when there are no guarantees not only of a ceasefire but also of renewed hostilities, as polling stations, being points of public gathering, would become targets for the aggressor,” he said.
Yurchyshyn added that before elections are held, solutions must be found for displaced Ukrainians abroad and soldiers on the frontlines to participate in voting.
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