Volodymyr Zelensky's presidential term expires on May 20th | Economist

Abraham lincoln won a presidential election in civil-war-torn America in 1864, and fdr secured his fourth term in 1944 while American troops were in action across the globe. Winston Churchill, by contrast, avoided the electorate until the war in Europe was over in 1945, at which point he was turfed out.

Ukraine's constitution is confusing. Article 103 states that the president is elected for a five-year term; but Article 108 says that he or she exercises power until a new president is inaugurated. A longstanding law (though not a constitutional provision) says that elections cannot be held when martial law is in force, as it has been in Ukraine since Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

I love how they ignoring that martial laws ends on 19 May and that Ukraine is parliamentary country where parliament has more power and there should been parliament election in October or November 2023 and now parliament can't prolong the martial laws that they extended for 3 months in February because Parliament lost its power in March. So ignore that detail that doesn't suit them.

As the war drags on, Mr Zelensky's popularity will be tested further. Already his star power is waning. Some Ukrainians wonder if a different leader could have fought more effectively, or found a way to negotiate some kind of peace. The president insists his aim is still to recover all of Ukraine's lost land, which seems unachievable. The government is under fire for alleged corruption and the centralisation of power in the hands of a tiny circle. It has bungled the mobilisation of fresh troops: many front-line units are down to 70% or so of their strength. After a long delay, a new conscription law is in place, but it will take months for its effects to be felt on the battlefield.

It's hilarious how they trying to end every paragraph with a positive note

Khohols don't want to fight the mobilisation is their 24/7 whole year. Sending men more notes won't fix it. All who wanted to fight already joined the army. You don't see men returning from west to blast their bussy for Zelenskyy. And 70% soldiers are saying they will leave Ukraine after this conflict ends. Yet homosexual end the pragraph with “it will take months for its effects to be felt on the battlefield” like it ever will be felt.

Ukraine should be able to resist, and in the coming months it will be bolstered by a new package of military and financial aid approved by America's Congress in April. But still, Mr Zelensky needs to address rather than evade the questions raised by the end of his formal presidential term. He should acknowledge that he needs eventually to hold an election, and lay out plans for how one might be organised. It will be hard: Russia will doubtless bar voting in areas it occupies and bomb polling booths in areas it doesn't. But a country as ingenious as Ukraine can surely find ways to give its people a proper say in how they are governed. One of the many reasons why they don't want to be swallowed by Russia is that Russians under Mr Putin have no such choice. Rather than suspend democracy indefinitely, Mr Zelensky should lay out plans to strengthen it. ■

Ukraine already getting help, they launched couple hundreds ATACMS since February when they didn't had officially aid but Biden “secretly” pushed it. So there won't be any wunderwaffel. This bs is more pathetic than epic spring counteroffensive and leopards. Khohols are saying they preparing new counteroffensive for 2027. By that time they won't have any men left. Zelenskyy told by lowering age from 27 to 25 he will mobilise 300k while there literally ain't that many men in Ukraine in that age barracks and age Barack 18-20/21 don't exist anymore since people were underage 2 years ago and left the country. So even if he lowers to 18 there won't be 300k to mobilise