Elections are barred under Ukraine’s martial law but its next expiration is before the March 2024 presidential vote
Peacetime elections in Ukraine cost around 135 million euros and Zelensky wants Western election observers on the frontlines
https://www.rte.ie/news/ukraine/2023/0827/1401976-ukraine-elections/
Other sources: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-says-elections-could-happen-under-fire-if-west-helps-2023-08-27/
Another upshot of the West
buyingpaying for Ukraine’s elections is that it’ll help ensure thecorrectfair outcome such that we can continue to ensure thatRussia will sufferUkraine will prosperIts going to be a very interesting class of incoming parlimentarians, given the disposition of the remaining residents.
What’s the point of holding an election? Hasn’t he banned all opposition parties already?
Imagine if NATO/US had spent money on, I dunno, relocating people opposed to living in Russian territory to like west Ukraine and building modern cities there. It’s just weird to have this discussion over the importance of borders and land. It’s probably why Americans bit this apple so fast too. “They crossed a border and they’re taking land!? BUT THAT’S GOD’S LAW!”
The majority of people in Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine, when polled, wanted to be part of Russia. To avoid war and conflict ones who wanted to remain in Ukraine could’ve be relocated, everything paid for, and cede the land to Russia. A line on a map changes. Wow.
It would’ve certainly cost less money and without a doubt less lives, so, that was unacceptable. We have to pretend Russia was like… Hmm… Like the US invading Iraq or Afghanistan or Vietnam or Korea. We weren’t allowed to point out these are bordering nations which used to be all part of some kind of union… And that people might have mixed feelings on the borders of the countries drawn within their lifetimes. Nope! They all hated Russia because [vaguely communist sounds]! And also that right wing Ukrainian family in Canada who just erected a statue to a Nazi great uncle of theirs, they also said Russians are all evil orcs. So, you know, pay no further attention.
And just for the record, I think Putin was in the wrong for using military force. However, this all could’ve been avoided if the US/NATO hadn’t been on a clear “fuck Russia’s shit” warpath for… since 1917. The Soviet Union may no longer exist, but the Russians are still evil and must always pay for that thing which, even if you thought they “needed to pay for it,” look at suicide and general death rates from like 1991 vs the 1980s and before. Like what’s the fucking mission here? No relenting until every Russian jumps off a building? It’s so fucking gross and so easily justified by people who don’t give a single shit. America honestly deserves the worst possible fate for what it’s done to countless populations around the world, Russia being just one.
Kind reminder: some US officials pushing for this war are descendants of people who fled the Soviet Union. For example, Victoria Nuland’s grandparents. This is very much a continuation of the Russian Civil War against the Bolsheviks.
Yes except there are no Bolsheviks left in Russia… while this whole situation is a tragedy, Russia is not anything we should ever support.
Putin and the current oligarchy are conservative capitalists. They are the furthest thing possible from the former USSR.
You should tell that to Victoria Nuland then. The way these people see it, there’s no difference. They hate what they call “Russia”, no matter who rules it or what name it has.
I know, and it’s absurd.
I am 100% against NATO and the Anglo Empire, but I can’t support Putin either.
But people can’t see it as possible to be against Nazi Ukraine joining NATO and also against Putin as a whole.
To hope the Empire crumbles and that the people of Russia are free from a fascist oligarchy.
Both positions are possible! They are not opposite.
No socialist would ever be against NATO and pro-Putin.
But if you try to look at things objectively and don’t cheer for death you’re a Putin supporter…
I critically support Russia in this war. Materially, it’s the best option right now to dismantle the US hegemony and open the road for socialist revolution.
But Russia can’t win… at least not against the US. Not unless something crazy like China joined in.
But I feel this is exactly what the US wants. It wants to keep Ukraine just barely strong enough to not outright lose, and for Russia to keep losing people. And the war machine in Western Europe and the US will get richer and richer. Another Iraq, a decades long conflict.
I don’t support Ukraine winning, cause that would likely be the end of Russia and as Ukraine currently shows an extinction of all the left in Europe pretty much.
But I really doubt Putin and the current Russian government have any socialist or leftist goals. That they would ever be possible allies if there wasn’t a common GIGANTIC enemy.
And I also believe that’s on purpose. The current state of affairs in Russia is a consequence of basically the CIA destroying the USSR and trying to shape the future of Russia.
All in all, I’m not very hopeful to be honest. I want to believe there is socialism out there. That the other side of the coin is right. But I always have this fear we’re being double played and it’s all the Empire y’know? It’s all theatre. Nothing is real anymore.
I know what you mean, but we have to assess the world in a historical materialist way and not in an idealist way.
NATO is losing credibility and is fraying. The petrodollar is collapsing. US/UK/European hegemony is retreating. That’s what matters here for me. A stronger Russia, whether it is capitalist or socialist, is a good thing, because multipolarity makes the US less inclined to mess up other countries. The uprisings in Africa against neocolonialism at this point in time are not accidental or coincidental. They very much have to do with the US having its eyes elsewhere.
Russia’s second biggest party is their communist party. Calcified remains of the Union exist to this day in the for of state owned assets and industries as well as a potent social safety and wellbeing net. Their continued friendship with China, even if just a pragmatic alliance against Western hegemony for now, ensures a steady exposure to and normalization of socialist values. The leftward potential of Russia is potent–they have only been “not socialist” for 30 years and the rampant liberalization of the 90s has slowed. Precedent is a powerful force multiplier. The younger generation of Russians are more hipster and Western and liberal in their spirit which will take a toll on future socialist endeavors but the final tally is that Russia is much more likely to be socialist much faster than most major countries across the planet.
Even if there was no internal potential for reestablishing the USSR–which there is–the fact remains that pragmatically we absolutely should support Russia. They provide weapons, training, soldiers, and a major trade partner to socialist, anti-imperialist, and imperialized countries craving independence all over Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and beyond. They singlehandedly have been a major thorn in the side of the United States Empire and their denial of imperial targets has triggered the Empire’s final decline. In the war in Ukraine, they singlehandedly drained decades worth of weapons, vehicles, money, and fascist soldiers from the entire NATO coalition’s stockpile. As a result this has emboldened vulnerable countries even more; there will be many more Nigers over the next few years, and because they smugly underestimated Russia and lost everything due to their hubris. Russia has taken the brunt of punishment from the U.S. so that the rest of the world may be a step closer to peace and prosperity, and so that ultimately global socialism will be actualized.
We can criticize Putin and his “oligarchs” (why are only Russian capitalists called “oligarchs” when by sheer circumstance they are not as gaudy nor powerful as their Western counterparts?) for their past of looting the country or the present push against LGBT (unfortunately causing the influx of young Westernized hipsters as a reactive force), but we absolutely can not tolerate such statements as “Russia is not something we should EVER support.” People in the most poor and imperialized countries across the world wave Russian flags even more than they wave Chinese ones! It is for good reason, many good reasons. Humanity, particularly the poor and those interested in a socialist future, owe them everything.
I would say every capitalist country has oligarchs lol Elon, Jeff Bezos, Gates… all oligarchs. But whatever.
I can only say I hope you’re right. I’m more skeptical tbh. I feel us the “little people” are the only ones actually fighting for “good”. And we’ve been losing for thousands of years.
If Ukraine leadership was sane and/or not USA puppet they would just agree on the first proposition. FFS Donbas didn’t even wanted independence, just autonomy to protect their culture and economy.
Also, post WW2 resettlements in the eastern Europe are proven more and more correct. Imagine the same US meddling as in Ukraine but multiply it by Poles, Belerussians, Germans and whomever else.
Many just wanted the sniping, shelling, and pogroms to stop. Ukraine Nazi govt has known exactly what it is doing.
A typical day for a redit country
I don’t know why he bothers, with the way things are going there won’t be another presidential election happening in ukraine by 2024.
You think he’d use the money on elections?
you didn’t have to do me in like that
I’m sure Diebold and/or other companies that specialize in election hardware/security will be glad to land those contracts.
Literally asking us to fund his relection campaign.
Lol zelensky is such a good grifter 😂
As the chief of staff, the president will likely be selected as military personnel, namely by desperately scouring towns and cities for volunteers
💵 💵 💵
Elect the dead
This is his only way out lmao. Now he will end up dead.
