American analysts point out that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and members of his team are deliberately distorting the Ukrainian Constitution regarding elections under martial law. Moreover, he will continue to put forward inadequate conditions for ending the war.
Points of attention
- Putin is trying to deceive the world by distorting Ukrainian legislation.
- Zelensky insists on respecting the Ukrainian Constitution, which prohibits holding elections during martial law.
- Putin continues to put forward conditions for ending the war, which include the complete surrender of Ukraine and the removal of the country's legitimate government.
Putin ignores Zelensky's arguments
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again emphasized that the Ukrainian Constitution and legislation prohibit holding presidential and parliamentary elections during martial law.
The Head of State also clearly stated that official Kyiv will have the opportunity to consider the issue of lifting martial law when the "hot phase" of the war ends.
Another important condition, according to the president, is that Ukraine be in a strong position with "a strong army, a strong weapons package, and security guarantees."
The ISW team draws attention to the fact that the Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law", adopted in 2000, provides that the Ukrainian authorities may terminate martial law "provided that the threat of attack or danger to the state independence of Ukraine and its territorial integrity is eliminated."
Putin is again resorting to manipulation
Kremlin officials, including Putin, have repeatedly used deliberate misinterpretations of Ukrainian law and the Constitution to argue that Zelensky is the illegitimate president of Ukraine after Ukraine failed to hold elections under martial law in 2024, in accordance with the law and the Constitution.
As American analysts note, legally, official Kyiv cannot lift martial law while Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
What is also important to understand is that Ukraine cannot secure a just peace with a small army, "40,000 or 50,000 soldiers," as Moscow demands.
Putin continues to put forward conditions for ending the war that amount to the complete surrender of Ukraine, including the removal of the legitimate Ukrainian government and the demilitarization of Ukraine.
In fact, he has not changed his rhetoric over the past 4 years.
