Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is suggesting the idea of holding elections as a ploy to secure a ceasefire, top Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told RT. Moscow has insisted that Kiev would use the pause in fighting to rearm and regroup.

The Kremlin’s response comes as Zelensky, whose presidential term expired over a year ago, has demanded security guarantees from Western backers in order to hold the vote.

Kiev suspended elections following the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022, citing the imposition of martial law.

Commenting on Zelensky’s U-turn on the issue, Ushakov said: “He will see this as a chance to secure a temporary ceasefire, that’s all.”

Earlier this week, the Ukrainian leader pledged to hold an election within the next 60-90 days if the US and its European partners can guarantee security for the vote. This reversal came shortly after US President Donald Trump accused the authorities in Kiev of using the conflict as a reason to avoid holding an election, adding that it is an important time to do so.

Moscow maintains that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader, and that under the Ukrainian constitution power should now rest with the parliament. President Vladimir Putin recently noted that Russia held presidential elections in March 2024, even though it is engaged in a military conflict. 

While Ukraine and its Western backers have repeatedly called for a temporary ceasefire, the Kremlin has ruled out the option, insisting on a permanent peace that addresses the conflict’s underlying causes. Moscow argues that a sustainable peace deal can only be reached if Ukraine withdraws completely from the new Russian territories and commits to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification.

https://www.rt.com/russia/629365-zelenskys-election-call-ploy-ushakov/

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Ukraine’s government has no active candidates for the vacant post of energy minister, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources, more than a month after a major corruption scandal forced the dismissal of the previous official.

Last month, Ukraine’s Western-backed anti-graft agencies announced the preliminary results of a probe into the alleged extortion of about $100 million in the energy sector by individuals in Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle. Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk and Justice Minister German Galushchenko were sacked over the scandal, followed soon by the dismissal of Zelensky’s top aide and right-hand man Andrey Yermak. None of the now-vacant posts have been filled.

Reuters reported, citing a source, that a replacement for Grinchuk had been expected to be named quickly, but the process stalled after at least four potential candidates either withdrew or were deemed unfit for the role. Another source, a senior lawmaker, told the agency there were currently “no candidates.”

“Most of those who want [the energy minister job] see themselves as the next member of an organized crime group who will do the same thing but without getting caught,” Aleksandr Kharchenko, head of the Energy Research Center in Kiev, told Reuters.

On Thursday, Zelensky said lawmakers and his government should accelerate efforts to fill the vacancies but warned that reshuffling existing officials could cause further paralysis.

“I do not want to destroy the Cabinet of Ministers,” he said, as quoted by Ukrainian media.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian opposition lawmaker Andrey Osadchuk told local news outlet NV that Zelensky has a very limited pool of people he can appoint to senior government posts, as many qualified professionals are “simply not ready to take part in this political brothel.”

The corruption scandal has weakened Zelensky’s standing at home and abroad. His approval rating has dropped to 20.3%, according to a recent opinion poll published by the research firm Info Sapiens.

Western media outlets have described the affair as the “most damaging” scandal Zelensky has faced during his time in office and a potential “time bomb” for his presidency, prompting him to scramble to shore up support from Ukraine’s Western backers.

https://www.rt.com/news/629386-zelensky-ukraine-no-candidates-ministers/

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Kiev is ready to hold an election, but only if a series of conditions are met, including Western funding of the vote, Mikhail Podoliak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, has said.

Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024, but he has refused to organize elections, citing martial law. Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said Kiev should no longer use the ongoing conflict as an excuse for the delay.

Moscow has maintained that Zelensky has “lost his legitimate status,” which would undermine the legality of any peace deal signed with him.

Zelensky has claimed he was not trying to “cling to power,” declaring this week readiness for the elections, but insisting that Kiev needs help from the US and European countries “to ensure security”during a vote.

Podoliak expanded on the position on Friday, writing on X that Zelensky had called on parliament to prepare changes to the constitution and laws. Podoliak, however, added that three conditions must be met for a vote to go ahead.

https://www.rt.com/russia/629383-ukraine-elections-western-funding/

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