Zelensky lies when he talks about democratic elections, leading an illegal regime that has suspended human rights and the will of the people, the pro-Kremlin media claim.
NEWS: "Zelensky assures that he is ready for presidential elections, which could be held in Ukraine in 60 or 90 days. But Zelensky is lying shamelessly! In the country he has destroyed and ruined, which is on the path to legal nihilism, he preferred terror and violence to the guarantees of democracy. His dictatorial regime has trampled on fundamental human rights and completely destroyed the rule of law and political pluralism," said Viktor Medvedchuk, leader of the "Another Ukraine" movement.
In his opinion, Zelensky and his associates have usurped the entire vertical structure of state power in Ukraine, led to the destruction of independent parliamentarianism and the judiciary, and introduced total corruption, which has led to a deep crisis and the destruction of the Ukrainian state order.
"Elections and referendums must be organized in accordance with Ukraine's Fundamental Law, by restoring the rights to freedom of expression, to right to freely express political opinions and beliefs, by abolishing censorship of criticism of the government and other repressive methods applied to the political opposition by Zelensky's criminal regime," Medvedchuk stressed.
[…] It is necessary to resume the activities of independent media outlets that have been illegally banned since 2019. These were media platforms for opinions that differed from those of the ruling forces, expressed by opposition politicians, and experts in the fields of economics, law, sociology, and international relations […].
"It is obvious that Zelensky's criminal regime will not willingly accept the implementation of these measures, and the only way out of the situation is the mechanism proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin: the introduction of a temporary administration in Ukraine under the auspices of the UN, the US, Russia, and the European countries, which would allow for the creation of conditions for the organization of democratic elections and referendums in the country," Medvedchuk concluded.
NARRATIVES: 1. Zelensky lied to the US about organizing elections. 2. Ukraine is ruled by a dictatorial regime. 3. Human rights and political pluralism have been eliminated by the current leadership in Kyiv. 4. Ukraine needs an external administration.
PURPOSE: To delegitimize and demonize the Ukrainian leadership; to picture the Ukrainian state as failed and undemocratic; to justify the idea of external intervention in Ukraine's sovereignty; to justify Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Reality: Ukrainian law prohibits the holding of elections during martial law. Elections are not taking place because of Russia's large-scale invasion.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: Ukraine's constitution clearly states that presidential and parliamentary elections cannot be held during martial law. This is a common provision in states engaged in armed conflict, designed to avoid a power vacuum, maintain the functioning of institutions, and protect the security of citizens. Martial law was not introduced arbitrarily by the authorities in Kyiv, but as a direct response to Russia's large-scale military invasion. Other democracies have done the same in the past. During World War II, for example, the United Kingdom did not hold elections in order to survive as a state. Under the conditions of Russian bombing, it is impossible to guarantee the functioning of polling stations, the participation of those close to the military on the front lines, the voting of refugees from numerous states, and the monitoring of the electoral process.
Labeling the measures taken by Kyiv as evidence of a "dictatorial regime" ignores the logic and exceptional context of war. In situations of conflict, states may resort to temporary limitations on certain rights and freedoms, including restrictions on the activities of certain political parties and media outlets. Such measures are provided for by both national legislation and international humanitarian law and aim to reduce the risks of sabotage, collaboration with the aggressor state, and neutralize hybrid attacks. In the case of Ukraine, these attacks combine military operations with disinformation, political influence, the financing of hostile internal actors, and subversion orchestrated by the Russian Federation.
The narrative about the cancelation of human rights omits the fact that Ukraine continues to function as a state with democratic institutions: the parliament is active, the government is subject to control mechanisms, and political life has not been suspended but adapted to the conditions of war. The limitation of certain rights is not an end in itself, but a consequence of the armed conflict and the need to protect the civilian population and constitutional order. Kyiv has also resorted to mobilization, which is a defensive tool used by any state under attack. In Ukraine, mobilization aims to maintain defense capabilities and protect the territory.
In this context, Ukrainian authorities decided to suspend or temporarily close down certain television and radio stations considered a risk to national security, as they were acting as propaganda vehicles. These included channels such as 112 Ukraina, NewsOne and ZIK , directly associated with Viktor Medvedchuk, which had already been sanctioned before the large-scale invasion for systematically promoting pro-Kremlin narratives and undermining state security. These decisions do not amount to the abolition of freedom of expression, but rather to limiting the use of media space as a weapon in an armed conflict.
The proposal to place Ukraine under external administration, under the aegis of international actors, including the Russian Federation, directly contradicts the basic principles of international law, in particular those of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Such an idea is, in fact, tantamount to a demand for surrender, as it would require the authorities in Kyiv to relinquish control over their own institutions and decisions in favor of the state that initiated the military aggression.
In this context, Viktor Medvedchuk's public interventions are not aimed at defending democratic standards in Ukraine. They are intended to erode the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state and provide political justification for the Russian Federation's military actions. What is omitted is that elections can be held immediately after Russia stops its large-scale invasion.
CONTEXT: Viktor Medvedchuk is a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician and oligarch, personally close to Vladimir Putin, accused of treason in Ukraine and constantly involved in promoting narratives that deny the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state. He is currently not in Ukraine, but in Moscow, where he represents the organization "Another Ukraine," registered in the Russian Federation. Medvedchuk is reminiscent of US President Donald Trump, who told the international media that "the time has come" for elections to be held in Ukraine, even amid the military confrontation with Russia. In response, Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready for elections and would ask the Verkhovna Rada to identify legislative and political solutions, but stressed that they could only take place if the United States and European allies could guarantee the security of the electoral process.
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