Zelensky extends martial law again, delaying elections amid legitimacy concerns
By isabelle // 2025-04-14
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  • Zelensky’s government extended martial law until August 11, delaying elections and raising democratic concerns.
  • MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak confirmed Ukraine’s 10th martial law extension since Russia’s 2022 invasion, blocking feasible elections.
  • Critics warn indefinite postponement risks normalizing rule by emergency decree amid aggressive conscription tactics.
  • Western aid fatigue grows as Ukraine faces criticism over governance, corruption, and election delays.
  • Zelensky insists elections cannot be held under martial law, but opponents see this as an excuse to prolong power.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government has pushed through yet another extension of martial law, prolonging his rule beyond his constitutional mandate and indefinitely postponing elections. The extended measures, now in place until at least August 11, deepen concerns over the erosion of democratic norms in wartime Ukraine, even as the Kremlin exploits the delays to question Kyiv’s legitimacy. On Saturday, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak confirmed that Ukraine’s parliament would renew martial law from May 14 to August 11, marking the 10th such extension since Russia’s 2022 invasion. “Yes, [martial law and general mobilization] will be extended, and this will happen pretty soon: April 15–18,” said Zheleznyak, a member of the Holos party. The move effectively bars elections, as Ukrainian law requires 60 to 90 days of preparations, which is unfeasible under current conditions. Zelensky’s presidential term technically expired in May 2024, yet no vote has been scheduled. Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk defended the delays, citing wartime impracticalities. He acknowledged the difficulty of holding elections while 800,000 potential voters are serving and millions are displaced. Critics, however, argue the indefinite postponement risks normalizing rule by emergency decree. “Ukraine has always been - historically, and it is now, and will remain - a democratic Ukraine,” Stefanchuk insisted, framing the delays as a necessity. But with no clear timeline for restoring elections, skepticism grows about whether wartime measures serve national defense—or political preservation.

Conscription crackdowns and Western fatigue

The martial law extensions coincide with aggressive conscription efforts, including lowered draft ages (from 27 to 25) and reports of forcible enlistments. Videos circulate online showing civilians grabbed off streets for military service—tactics Kyiv justifies as necessary to replenish battlefield losses but that fuel domestic discontent. Meanwhile, Western allies face growing “donor fatigue” as aid packages stall. Some analysts suggest governance concerns—like election delays and corruption—have weakened Ukraine’s moral appeal to democratic backers. The Kremlin seizes on the narrative, dismissing Zelensky as an unelected leader. Though Russia’s criticism is self-serving—its own elections are tightly controlled—the prolonged martial law lends Moscow propaganda fuel. Stefanchuk rebuffed such comparisons: “We are on two banks of the civilization abyss [with Russia].” Yet critics note that Ukraine’s constitutional crisis is real: Article 83 permits legislative extensions during emergencies, but indefinite rule without elections tests democratic principles.

Democracy deferred indefinitely?

Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized the obstacles to voting, including safeguarding ballots for soldiers and 7 million Ukrainians abroad. In a March interview with Rai 1, he noted that holding elections under martial law requires legal overhauls—a justification opponents call a smokescreen. David Arakhamia, head of Zelensky’s parliamentary faction, pledged elections “six months after martial law ends,” but with no end to the war in sight, that pledge rings hollow. The cost—financially and logistically—is another hurdle. Pre-war elections cost $100 million; now, securing polling stations and preventing Russian interference would require far more. But as Stefanchuk admitted, planning is in “early stages,” with no draft legislation proposed.

A wartime democracy in limbo

Ukraine’s struggle against Russian aggression remains existential, and martial law extensions are not inherently undemocratic. Yet the absence of a clear path to restore elections—coupled with Zelensky’s expired mandate and draconian conscription—raises uneasy questions. Democracy, after all, is what Ukraine claims to defend. If emergency powers outlast their necessity, the line between defender and autocrat blurs. Western nations may tolerate delays now, but as the war drags on, patience—and Ukraine’s democratic credibility—are wearing thin. The longer elections are postponed, the harder it becomes to argue that Kyiv’s governance differs fundamentally from Moscow’s. Sources for this article include: YourNews.com Investing.com Reuters.com
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