Olga Aivazovska

With his latest statement, former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov appears to have reinvigorated a dangerous debate about elections in wartime Ukraine. "We must not let Putin decide when Ukrainians can choose their government," Fedorov said, adding that democracy is "part of what we are fighting for today." The principle is difficult to dispute. Yet a prolonged war of attrition places extraordinary strain on both the state and society, demanding that Ukraine's political leadership exercise th

Editor’s Note: This op-ed was first published by the Ukrainian NGO Civil Network OPORA as an open statement, which garnered nearly 300 signatures at the time it was published by the Kyiv Independent. Democracy during wartime must be protected even more than in peacetime, as the consequences of mistakes or a loss of trust are far too high. Our partners and allies must ensure that elections in Ukraine result in a genuine expression of the nation's will. International standards for peaceful and po

The collapse of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure last year due to Russia’s war brought the entire country to its knees. And while Ukraine was, for the most part, spared from widespread blackouts this winter, Russian forces are once again targeting critical infrastructure. Russia resumed missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in late March, leaving over a million consumers across the country without power. Around 700,000 people in Kharkiv Oblast, at least 200,000 people in O

Had it not been for Russia’s full-scale war, Ukrainians would have engaged in a heated political season in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections on Oct. 29, as well as the presidential elections in March of the upcoming year. Despite some voices in the West pushing for Ukraine’s elections to occur as planned, elections and war are incompatible. Yes, elections are a vital prerequisite for democracy, and we agree on that. However, with millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war abroad and thousa