Zelensky Says He Won’t Hold Elections Unless U.S. and EU Pay for Them

[mystery-ak]

Zelensky Says He Won’t Hold Elections Unless U.S. and EU Pay for Them

Kurt Zindulka 28 Aug 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded that taxpayers in the United States and European Union send the country even more aid if the West wishes for elections to be held next year.

In an interview published by the president’s office on Sunday evening, Zelensky said that he would be willing to hold elections despite the ongoing martial law amid the war with Russia, so long as the U.S. and EU bankroll the voting process.

The Ukrainian leader said that elections during peacetime typically cost around 5 billion hryvnia ($135 million) but did not speculate as to how much more they would cost during a war, though presumably it would be much higher.

Zelensky said that he discussed the topic of funding for the 2024 elections with U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been one of the staunchest supporters of sending more aid to Ukraine on Capitol Hill.

“I told [Sen. Graham]: If the United States and Europe give us financial support… I’m sorry, I will not hold elections on credit, I will not take money from weapons and give it to elections either. But if you give me this financial support, if the parliamentarians realize that we need to do this, then let’s quickly change the legislation and, most importantly, let’s take risks together,”  Zelensky said.

“Observers should be in the trenches. I told him: observers must be sent to the frontline so that the elections are legitimate for us and for the whole world. And this is absolutely fair,” he added.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/08/28/zelensky-says-he-wont-hold-elections-unless-u-s-and-eu-pay-for-them/

[mountaineer]

 

[Kamaji]

Why would one have elections during an existential war?  Only a f*ckwit would insist that Ukraine hold elections right now.

[mountaineer]

Who's demanding elections?

[Kamaji]

Who's demanding elections?

From the original article:

if the West wishes for elections to be held next year.

The fact of the matter is, that nations under existential threat generally don't take time off for elections.  The UK suspended elections - including local elections - during WWII.  Most of the other Allies did not, but then they weren't facing an existential fight of the same order of magnitude as that faced by the UK.

If it was good enough for the UK during WWII, and didn't elicit any whinging from the other Allies, then it seems to me the West should STFU if Ukraine suspends elections during the Russian existential threat.

[DefiantMassRINO]

I guess he'd rather spend the money on bullets rather than ballots.

[Kamaji]

I guess he'd rather spend the money on bullets rather than ballots.

Makes sense to me.

[PeteS in CA]

In context, Ukraine is at war, trying to liberate it's territory in the Donets Basin and Crimea from Russian invaders. A text out of context is a pretext.

[Kamaji]

In context, Ukraine is at war, trying to liberate it's territory in the Donets Basin and Crimea from Russian invaders. A text out of context is a pretext.

[mountaineer]

if the West wishes for elections to be held next year. ...

doesn't sound to me like anyone is demanding elections. IF doesn't mean squat.

This is just Zelensky's never-ending grift for more money.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Why would one have elections during an existential war?  Only a f*ckwit would insist that Ukraine hold elections right now.

Exactly.  It's ridiculous.

[txradioguy]

And of course President Silver Alert will fork over more of our money we don't have on the little yellow and blue extortionist and his ongoing grift.

[txradioguy]

In context, Ukraine is at war, trying to liberate it's territory in the Donets Basin and Crimea from Russian invaders. A text out of context is a pretext.

What does that have to do with the fact he's demanding we pay for his elections?

[libertybele]

Z is definitely not shy about asking for another handout. 

[Fishrrman]

"Why would one have elections during an existential war?"

Ahem.
United States of America, 1864.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

What does that have to do with the fact he's demanding we pay for his elections?

He doesn't want to have elections.  He's just saying that if the West is going to demand them, then the West is going to have to put for them.

In other words, he doesn't really want either elections or the money.  Which to me is reasonable under the circumstances.

[Kamaji]

doesn't sound to me like anyone is demanding elections. IF doesn't mean squat.

This is just Zelensky's never-ending grift for more money.

That's Zelensky being nice.  If he had to make that statement, one can be quite certain that there were behind-the-scenes demands that Ukraine hold elections.  Let's not be altogether naive, shall we?

[Kamaji]

He doesn't want to have elections.  He's just saying that if the West is going to demand them, then the West is going to have to put for them.

In other words, he doesn't really want either elections or the money.  Which to me is reasonable under the circumstances.

[Kamaji]

What does that have to do with the fact he's demanding we pay for his elections?

He's not.  He's telling us that if we're going to insist that Ukraine hold elections in the middle of an existential war - something that was never demanded of the UK during WWII - then the West can bloody well pay for them.

[ScottinVA]

How in the hell would Ukraine hold a legitimate election with 20% of the country under the jackboot of the orcs?

[berdie]

He's not.  He's telling us that if we're going to insist that Ukraine hold elections in the middle of an existential war - something that was never demanded of the UK during WWII - then the West can bloody well pay for them.

 

[Hoodat]

He doesn't want to have elections.  He's just saying that if the West is going to demand them, then the West is going to have to put for them.

In other words, he doesn't really want either elections or the money.  Which to me is reasonable under the circumstances.

That's how I read it as well.  Zelenskiy is not offering up an election as an excuse for getting money.

[PeteS in CA]

What does that have to do with the fact he's demanding we pay for his elections?

I was commenting on the possibility/likelihood there would not be elections.

[txradioguy]

He's not.  He's telling us that if we're going to insist that Ukraine hold elections in the middle of an existential war - something that was never demanded of the UK during WWII - then the West can bloody well pay for them.

Ahh gotcha

[txradioguy]

I was commenting on the possibility/likelihood there would not be elections.

Ok that makes sense.