Ukraine’s parliament on Wednesday voted to extend martial law and military mobilization for another three months, in a nearly unanimous 357-1 vote which though fully expected, presents yet another obstacle for peace with Russia.
These wartime measures will continue until at least August 6, when another extension vote is likely. This means that there will be no efforts to organize a presential vote during that time, and that Zelensky’s mandate continues. Also, there can be no elections to parliament while the ruling is in effect. President Trump previously derided Zelensky as a “dictator without elections” – in a drastic break from the Biden presidency.
Ukraine’s constitution stipulates that elections cannot be held during martial law, which has remained highly controversial, given also both the Trump administration and the Kremlin have called for some kind of timeline for political transition.
Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said the extension of martial law passed by a 357-1 vote, while a measure to maintain troop mobilization was approved 356-1. —Al Jazeera
The military mobilization aspect means what conscripts aged between 18 and 60 continue to be barred from leaving the country. Even though Ukrainian men can’t be drafted until they are 25 (a rarity among global militaries as this is a high ‘minimum’ age), the country is seeking to preserve future fighting forces.
For the domestic population, it remains the harsh conscription campaign that is most feared by families, as in some instances young men have been forcibly taken into military service while simply walking the streets or going to restaurants.
This latest parliament vote to extend these policies has been met with some visible pushback by a well-known former leader:
Former president Petro Poroshenko accused the government of rushing the extension through parliament, with almost one month left before the current martial law expires.
Martial law is “being used not only for the defense of the country, but also for the establishment of an authoritarian regime,” the opposition leader, who has been sanctioned by Zelensky, claimed on social media.
Martial law has been in effect since the very beginning of the Russian invasion of February 2022, and it’s increasingly being politically challenged both at home and abroad.
But during that time, Zelensky has effectively barred and rooted out nearly all opposition figures and parties in parliament, especially the ones seen as sympathetic to Russian-speakers.
And the longer the war drags on, the more desperate authorities will become to suppress dissenting voices while pushing polices which seek to rapidly replenish military ranks. But drastic change to an already controversial and strained system could destabilize the Zelensky government.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 04/17/2025 – 04:15
