Vitali Klitschko warns millions of Ukrainians would be disenfranchised if elections were held while war rages.
United States President Donald Trump’s calls for immediate elections in Ukraine would be disastrous, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told the European Parliament on Thursday.
“In the current situation, election is poison for our homeland … it’s my personal opinion,” Klitschko told reporters in Brussels, on a visit to receive the Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award for courage and excellence in the promotion of freedom.
After Trump called for elections and slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “a dictator,” Moscow supported the idea, sparking concern in Kyiv as it attempts to fend off Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion. European leaders have since pushed back — while Ukrainian politicians, officials and soldiers have also leapt to their president’s defense.
The Kyiv mayor said that once peace returns to Ukraine, elections would be the logical next step, but underscored that now is not the time.
“Elections are one of democratic bases, but we have unusual situation in Ukraine,” he said. “Almost 10 million Ukrainians are outside of the country, almost same number of displaced people inside the country. A lot of people, around a million, are taking uniform and fighting on the front line.”
“Sometimes I have feeling that some political forces prepare for some election … We are fighting for our independence [and] integrity and it’s not smart to prepare right now for some election. Step by step.”
“We have to unite our forces to stop the war. And after that, election,” he added.
