Ukrainian lawmakers will almost certainly extend martial law again before it expires on May 9. This was stated by the Speaker of the Parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, quoted by "Reuters".
They are determined to uphold democracy, despite the United States and Russia pressuring Kiev to hold a new vote.
Stefanchuk stressed the practical and legal implausibility of holding free and fair elections in a country that is partially occupied and still under constant attack - three years after the invasion of Russian forces.
Since invading Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has been trying to portray the government, and in particular President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose five-year term ended last year, as illegitimate.
However, Stefanchuk stressed Ukraine's commitment to democratic elections, contrasting it with Russia, which has eliminated the political opposition in the country and has been forced to deny accusations of covert campaigns to influence a number of elections in abroad.
"This is a priority for me, because Ukraine has always been - historically, is now and will remain - democratic", he emphasized.
"This is what distinguishes us from the Russian Federation. On this issue, we are on two banks of the civilizational abyss".
Preparations for future elections have begun, but are at a very early stage, Stefanchuk specified.
Parliamentary and presidential elections were last held in Ukraine in 2019. Parliamentary approval is required every 90 days to extend martial law, which allows for the mobilization of troops and the suspension of the election cycle.
Stefanchuk, who would take over if Zelensky were killed or incapacitated, said parliament would almost certainly extend its decision because "the war is not over."
That means about 800,000 potential voters are in uniform: fighting or training.
Nearly five million of Ukraine's pre-war population of about 44 million are registered as internally displaced, and more than four million Ukrainians are registered as living in European Union countries alone. This statistic does not include those who are displaced but unregistered.
About a fifth of Ukraine - in the south and east - is occupied by Russia.
Although Donald Trump began his second term as US president by questioning continued military support for Kiev amid claims to Russia and calling for a quick end to the war, negotiations have stalled.
Meanwhile, fighting continues along a 1,000-km front line, and cities in the rest of the country live in fear of Russian bombing.
Even when the conflict ends, rebuilding enough to hold proper elections will be a huge challenge, for which Ukraine will have to create a framework from scratch, including a new law specifying the timing, rules and procedures.
Stefanchuk said that lawmakers, election officials and other experts are working on the issues, but have not yet begun drafting bill.
The sequence of local, parliamentary and presidential elections that will have to be held has not yet been decided.
"Even from a theoretical point of view, it is unrealistic to hold all elections at the same time," he explained.
Before the war, holding the elections cost about 4 billion hryvnia ($100 million). In addition to financing the campaigns and voting, Kiev will also have to ensure security and prevent possible attempts at manipulation by its enemy Moscow.