Speculation is mounting over who will emerge as a candidate to challenge Volodymyr Zelensky in the next Ukrainian presidential race after Donald Trump declared the embattled nation should press on with elections.
Calling for Ukraine to head to the ballot box even while under martial law, Trump yesterday insisted that his Ukrainian counterpart had lost the support of his people, and claimed: ‘He’s down at four per cent approval rating’.
The wild statistic was roundly dismissed after a poll conducted by the respected Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) earlier this month reported Zelensky’s approval rating stood at 57 per cent.
A presidential election was expected to take place in Ukraine in March or April 2024, but it was postponed due to the ongoing war. Under the constitution, Zelensky must stay in office until a new leader is chosen at the ballot box.
Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Parliament having extended the measure every 90 days ever since.
The head of Zelensky’s ‘Servant of the People’ party, David Arakhamia, also pointed out that all political parties had agreed the next elections would be six months after martial law is lifted.
In the meantime, a poll conducted by accredited Ukrainian socio-political research body SOCIS in December 2024 revealed the candidates that may emerge to run challenge Zelensky in a future run-off – and assessed their chances.
