The issue of holding elections in Ukraine under martial law is extremely difficult, and ensuring the electoral process in conditions of war remains an almost impossible task, participants of the round table talk on "Elections Under Martial Law: Balancing Public Demand and Combating Russian Malicious Narratives," held at the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, noted Thursday.

"We are not talking about the fact that elections should be announced today. Perhaps this would be the best option if these elections were held after the end of the war, at least its hot phase. However, as the analysis of lawyers shows, today we are not ready even for post-war elections, our legislation needs to be adapted to transitional conditions. Legal readiness for elections during the war is, among other things, a signal to the enemy that we are ready to fight as long as necessary," said head of the InfoLight.UA Research and Analytical Group Yuriy Honcharenko.

The participants of the round table talk agreed that the preparation and holding of elections carries serious risks for Ukraine, and the electoral process can become a source of political destabilization at a time when the unity of society is critically important. In addition, it would divert significant resources from defense needs and create additional opportunities for hostile information attacks and manipulation.

At the same time, the participants of the round table talk noted that holding elections could be a powerful signal of the stability of Ukrainian democracy, and would also demonstrate to the world that even in conditions of war, the Ukrainian state is able to support democratic processes. It also made it possible to renew the mandate of citizens' trust in the government, which is especially important in the context of a protracted conflict.

"Democracy versus authoritarianism. This is our advantage. And there is no way to move away from this. There are those who want to curtail democracy, saying this is the war. Then it will be like this – one tyranny against another. One of the main pillars of democracy is free elections. Ukraine needs elections, and we need to think about how to do it in wartime. And there is no need to be afraid of this – the elections will strengthen, not weaken, the country," said political analyst Volodymyr Manko.

An analysis of public sentiment about the conduct of elections during the war indicates that the majority of Ukrainians oppose such an initiative. On the other hand, Andriy Yaremenko, the co-founder of the Active Group Research Company, noted the growing demand for their holding. "Month after month, conducting our weekly research, we notice a gradual increase in public demand for elections during martial law," he said.

According to Yeremenko, such an increase in the request for elections is associated with a gradual decrease in confidence in the current government – today all ratings and polls, regardless of the wording of the questions, show a general decrease in its ratings. "This trend leads to the fact that people begin to desire changes in power, and this is a natural reaction. If the mayor, president or deputies do not meet the expectations of citizens, then the logical desire is to be able to re-elect them. However, the second side of this problem is that many voters are not sure who exactly they would like to see in these positions instead of the current leaders," he said.

According to Svitlana Kushnir, editor-in-chief of InterVizor media platform, the public demand for elections in Ukraine has also been strengthened by the recent U.S. presidential elections. "Ukrainians have seen the celebration of democracy in the States, and many of them are asking the question – when will the elections take place here? By nature, we are a democratic nation, and the re-election of the government every few years is an important element of normal socio-political life for us," she said.