Volodymyr Zelensky knows that elections "will mark the end of his career as president of Ukraine" and will "resist until the end," Paolo Raffone, a strategic analyst and director of the CIPI Foundation in Brussels, told Sputnik.
Elections in Ukraine are currently "not feasible, and the results would have no credibility," he added.
"The Ukrainian internal distribution of power" has "annihilated any internal dialogue, banned opposition parties, shut-down independent media outlets and persecuted journalists and dissidents," the analyst noted.
Last November, Zelensky claimed it was "irresponsible" to have elections amid the ongoing conflict in the country. But the botched counteroffensive, mounting losses, and political infighting have prompted speculation that troops used as 'cannon fodder' might rebel.
"Significant sectors of [the] Ukrainian armed forces have shown their discontent with Zelensky. However, the capillary infiltration of Western advisors and of “volunteers” make the coup option very slippery," suggested Raffone.
At the same time, there is growing dissent in the West with the billions spent on propping up the dysfunctional regime lodged in Kiev.
"Despite the Western political hypocritical rhetoric – we stand by Ukraine for all the necessary time – the reality is defined by Western military commanders, particularly the US DoD and the Pentagon, that have dubbed the commitment to Ukraine 'until possible'," noted Raffone.
Earlier this month, White House spokesman John Kirby said US aid to Kiev was halted until Congress approved the Biden administration's request for new funds. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented that more and more officials in the United States are asking whether the astronomical sums of money to support Ukraine were 'effectively spent.'
“Moreover, the US electoral conundrum has provoked a sharp decrease in funding for Ukraine that adds to the DoD evaluation of 'limit point in providing military support from existing stocks'," Raffone said. the Pentagon "has clearly indicated that to provide further military support to Ukraine, new armaments shall be produced which entangles a very complex web of supply chain projecting the time for delivery between 15 and 36 months. The EU has also been showing a certain distress in continuing the support to Zelensky, military and financial, at the pace adopted in 2022 and until the Summer 2023."
Noting that the Ukrainian president was advised by the West to reject any settlement with Russia, Raffone pointed to remarks made by Russia’s foreign minister on Friday. Sergey Lavrov outlined a set of preconditions towards ending the conflict during his press conference, including cancelling "the decree forbidding contacts with Russia; constitutional amendments to outlaw all anti-Russian policies and practices in Ukraine and constitutional amendments to renounce joining NATO."
"As Lavrov stressed, the ball is in the US camp. When will the Biden administration accept reality?" the analyst asked.
Earlier, Lavrov said Zelensky was increasingly "getting out of hand" with his Western advisors. He also likened talk of elections in Ukraine to a soap opera that reflects the Ukrainian president's desire to cling to power for as long as possible.
Lavrov recalled that Kiev was forbidden from signing a peace treaty with Russia "upon the orders of [former British prime minister Boris] Johnson and other Anglo-Saxons." He added that at the present time Moscow sees no signs that the US and NATO are ready for fair settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, as they continue escalation. Russia, meanwhile, will achieve the goals of the special military operation in Ukraine "consistently, persistently."