For four long, brutal years, Ukraine — under the unrelenting leadership of President Volodymyr Zelensky — has withstood the Russian onslaught against their nation’s sovereignty and its very identity.

Every effort at reaching an agreement on peace terms, or even a ceasefire to allow for substantive negotiations, has been stymied by Vladimir Putin’s intransigence on certain specific points: territorial demands, future NATO membership for Ukraine, and security guarantees for Ukraine going forward being the principal sticking points.

And through it all, Zelensky has valiantly defended his nation’s right to exist, refusing to give away pieces of it to the aggressor who behaves like a schoolyard bully demanding lunch money from a smaller, weaker child, simply because he wants it.

Just two days ago, Zelensky stated firmly that “Ukraine has no right — and no intention — to give up its territories, emphasizing that this is forbidden by Ukrainian law, by international law, and by basic morality.” [Ukraine News, December 8, 2025.]

One of Putin’s persistent — and transparently incorrect — claims has been that, since the spring of 2024, Zelensky has not been the legitimate president of Ukraine due to the suspension of scheduled elections while the country remained at war . . . a suspension required by Ukraine’s own constitution.

Now, disturbingly, a statement by Zelensky brings that issue into question. In the midst of talks with U.S. and European leaders, he said yesterday that “it’s time” — that he is ready to hold elections if the U.S. and other partners will provide the security necessary to ensure the vote can be held safely, and that he would press Parliament to draft the necessary legislation to allow elections to be held during martial law. [RFE/RL, December 9, 2025.]

Holding elections in wartime would require a cessation of hostilities in order to enable the thousands of front-line military personnel and millions of displaced civilians to vote safely. The election would also have to be independently monitored to ensure against unlawful interference — which is a whole other can of woms.

Zelensky said that an election could be held in 60 to 90 days if such security guarantees and a ceasefire were in place:

“I’m asking now, and stating this openly, for the US, perhaps with our European partners, to help me ensure the security needed to hold elections. I personally have the will and readiness for this.” [Id.]

The obvious question is: Why now? What has happened to cause this 180-degree turn?

I can only surmise that the pressure being applied in the wake of Donald Trump’s 28-point proposal offering Ukraine to Vladimir Putin on a silver platter, followed by his Europe-bashing contained in the U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS), have had more than a little effect on President Zelensky’s morale and his hope for continued support from the U.S. The entire dynamic of the U.S.-Europe-Ukraine discussions has shifted . . . in the wrong direction.

And that is nothing less than an epic disaster, not only for Ukraine, but for the future of Europe and the entire post-World War II fight for democracy.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/10/25