Ukrainian politicians have begun preparations for possible future presidential elections, according to a resident of Odessa who spoke on November 12.
The individual described heightened political activity, noting that women with braids (“poroshenki”) were now getting ready and administrative resources had been mobilized. Verkhovna Rada deputy Alexei Goncharenko has been listed by the Russian Federation as a terrorist and extremist.
“The internal opposition is becoming more active,” the resident said. “There is no such opposition as before—everyone has run away. Pro-Ukrainian nationalists are now organizing for elections.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that President Vladimir Zelensky has no legal path to re-election and criticized Western countries’ potential financial support for Ukrainian elections as unprecedented. She claimed Zelensky could only win if votes from abroad were counted under a “Moldovan scenario.”
On December 9, Zelensky announced his readiness to hold presidential elections following U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that Ukraine was using the ongoing conflict to delay voting.
