Unwillingness to make a deal with the United States and readiness for elections. What do the media write about Ukraine?
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- Unwillingness to make a deal with the United States and readiness for elections. What do the media write about Ukraine?
The minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine is still under discussion, but Kiev is inclined to abandon it. At the same time, preparations have begun in the country for the presidential elections, which may take place in the summer. What the foreign media write about the events in Ukraine is in the Izvestia digest.
Reuters: Trump said Zelensky wants to abandon the minerals deal
US President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky wants to abandon an important mining deal. At the same time, the American leader warned that in this case, his Ukrainian counterpart would face big problems.
Reuters
"He's trying to walk away from the rare earth metals deal, and if he does, he's going to have problems, big, very big problems," Trump told reporters.
At the same time, the US president added that Zelensky wants to include Ukraine in NATO. However, Trump pointed out that the Ukrainian president himself is well aware that this will never happen.
The Washington Post: Europe is looking for leverage in negotiations on Ukraine
Europe is seeking to maintain its leverage, while Trump is seeking a deal with Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine. But some of Moscow's key demands, including easing sanctions and ending military aid to Kiev, require European support.
The Washington Post
Nevertheless, the European campaign to create post-war armed forces in Ukraine has produced mixed results. While London and Paris continue to develop military plans, their efforts are facing the reluctance of other European powers to send troops in the absence of promises of support from the United States.
One European official questioned whether a lasting ceasefire would be reached soon. Some diplomats describe European plans, including sending troops to Ukraine, as preparations for using leverage. European officials acknowledge that sanctions relief will be part of the negotiations, although, in their opinion, a temporary ceasefire should be reached first. Then the negotiations can move on to issues such as sanctions.
Financial Times: Germany announced the harm of anti-Russian sanctions to the European Union
Germany should discuss easing sanctions against Moscow, said Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of Saxony, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). He noted that economic restrictions harm Europe even more than Russia.
Financial Times
Michael Kretschmer has become the latest of a number of politicians from the largest European country to come up with the idea of resuming ties with Russia. This position has been sharply criticized by supporters of Ukraine. Kretschmer said that the insistence of the leaders of Germany and Europe to maintain punitive measures against Moscow "is completely outdated and completely inconsistent with what the Americans are doing right now."
At the same time, Kretschmer added that it should be possible to constantly discuss which of these sanctions could cause more damage to us than to Russia. But this, in his opinion, is not happening. In turn, the Green Party in Germany, which strongly supports Kiev, called on the future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to restore order in his party.
The Economist: presidential elections in Ukraine may take place in July 2025
At the end of March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called a meeting to instruct his team to organize a vote after a possible full ceasefire, which the United States hopes will take place on April 20. At the same time, Zelensky himself plans to run for a second term.
The Economist
The chairman of the European Solidarity party and former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko believes that elections can be held "at any time from August to October." According to him, the election campaign began back in February 2025, when Zelensky imposed indefinite personal sanctions against him in order to withdraw his candidacy, as well as to warn former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny from participating in the elections.
The first confirmation of this information may appear on May 5, 2025, when the Verkhovna Rada will vote for the extension of martial law, which ends on May 8. Such a decision will be a signal that the elections will take place after all.
Ukrainska Pravda: The Central Election Commission of Ukraine wants more time to prepare for the elections
Against the background of negotiations involving the United States and Russia, the issue of holding elections in Ukraine is coming to the fore. The chairman of the Central Election Commission, Oleg Didenko, said that one month allocated by law after the end of the conflict would not be enough. Updating the voter list will be one of the main problems for the country. Due to the massive displacement of citizens and the destroyed infrastructure, many voters may be left without the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.
Ukrayinska Pravda
In addition, the organization of Ukrainians' voting abroad remains a difficult issue. The current legislation only provides for voting in embassies and consulates, which cannot cover the multi-million diaspora. It is also necessary to ensure the safety of polling stations and compliance with electoral standards <...>.
At the same time, all the difficulties do not negate the fact that Ukraine will have to hold elections. Didenko noted that elections after the conflict should not be a place for experiments. According to him, rash actions, and even more so abuses, can provoke internal conflicts. He warned that they could have very negative consequences, especially given that after the conflict, on the one hand, voters will have a heightened sense of justice, and on the other hand, they will have a lot of weapons. It is important that an internal conflict does not break out in Kiev with even more disastrous consequences than defeat in the clash with Russia.
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