Ukraine is still at war, but is already preparing for peacetime elections and weighing how to deal with Russian "

Ukrainian officials arrived in Brussels last week to discuss how to organize the country's first post-war elections, which will be closely watched by the EU.. And in this area, too, there is a great fear of Russian interference..

In an interview with Politico, CEC head Oleg Didenko said that Ukraine needs to prepare for the risk that Russia will try to " Parliamentary elections were to be held in Ukraine in October, and presidential elections next year, but preparations for them were suspended due to the war..

“I understand that Ukraine must ensure democratic standards in the conduct of post-war elections in terms of the right to be elected. But Ukraine needs to think about how to protect itself from such interference and prevent threats to national security,” Didenko said..

Politico recalls that the war started by Russia has paused the democratic life of Ukraine. According to the Constitution, any elections, parliamentary or presidential, cannot be held while the country is under martial law.. And its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced on the morning of Russia's full-scale invasion. Since then, this status has been maintained. But fears of Russian interference are just one of many obstacles Ukraine will face on its way to holding its first post-war elections..

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Kyiv also needs to find a way to count the votes of more than 8 million Ukrainians (about 20% of the population) who fled Russian aggression and live abroad.. Therefore, Ukrainian officials were in Brussels last week, where they met with representatives of election commissions from other European countries to discuss how to make it easier for refugees to vote..

Increasing the number of polling stations in third countries, as well as introducing new voting methods such as electronic or postal voting, are technical options that Didenko says are being considered.. But the new voting model will be a political decision, because the Ukrainian parliament must have the final word..

“We must make sure that any choice that is made, firstly, will be supported by all political forces in Ukraine, and secondly, that it will enjoy the confidence of citizens,” said Sam Van Der Staak, European Program Director at the Intergovernmental.

“Ukraine must do everything right from the very beginning, because everyone, including Russia, is watching this,” he added..

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Politico writes that Kyiv has already taken measures to limit the influence of pro-Russian parties, which have long been used by the Kremlin to influence Ukrainian politics.. Last May, Zelenskiy signed a decree banning all 11 pro-Kremlin parties accused of undermining Ukraine's sovereignty.. Opposition Platform – For Life, the largest pro-Russian party and formerly the second largest political force in the Ukrainian parliament, tried to challenge the ban in court. But in September 2022, the Supreme Court of Ukraine upheld the ban. In January, Zelenskiy also stripped four MPs of their Ukrainian citizenship for cooperating with Moscow, endangering national security, and spreading Kremlin propaganda.. Among them is Viktor Medvedchuk, an oligarch once considered Vladimir Putin's main ally in Ukraine..

But some pro-Kremlin politicians are still active. The Opposition Platform for Life deputies who remained in Ukraine divided into two newly created groups - the " Asked if the Ukrainian authorities would consider banning them again from participating in the post-war elections, Didenko said that this was not within the competence of the CEC..

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“The decision is made by the court in each specific case” after careful consideration of the activities and programs of the parties, Didenko explained, stressing that the previous bans were not unfounded.. At the same time, the head of the CEC added that Russia's attack on Ukrainian democracy will not be limited to war..

“We have a terrorist neighbor, and he will not disappear after our victory. He will still be here,” Didenko said..