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Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) report that the Russian authorities deliberately misinterpret Ukrainian legislation and the Ukrainian Constitution regarding elections under martial law. Furthermore, the Kremlin has no intention of compromising on its conditions for ending the war, which remain unchanged since 2021.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that the Ukrainian Constitution and laws prohibit holding presidential and parliamentary elections during martial law. Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian government could consider lifting martial law only when the “hot phase” of the war ends and Ukraine attains a “strong position” with a “strong army, a robust arsenal, and security guarantees.”
Analysts also reminded that Ukraine’s 2000 law, “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law,” stipulates that martial law can be lifted only when the threat of attack or danger to Ukraine’s state independence and territorial integrity is eliminated.
“Kremlin officials, including Putin, have repeatedly misrepresented Ukrainian legislation and the Constitution to claim that Zelenskyy is an illegitimate president because Ukraine, adhering to its laws and Constitution, did not hold elections under martial law in 2024”, publication writes.
The report notes that Ukrainian authorities legally cannot lift martial law as long as Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
Experts emphasize that Zelenskyy has outlined the conditions necessary to force Russia into agreeing to a “just peace.”
Among other statements, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine cannot achieve a just peace with a small army of “40,000 or 50,000 soldiers,” referencing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initial demand during Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul in spring 2022 for Ukraine to demilitarize and maintain a force of only about 50,000 troops.
“Putin and other Kremlin officials have repeatedly proposed terms for ending the war that amount to Ukraine’s total surrender, including the removal of Ukraine’s legitimate government and the country’s demilitarization. These demands have remained unchanged since 2021,” the analysis states.
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