우크라 ‘드론 영웅’, 대권 행보 본격화…“전쟁 중 선거가 웬말” 역풍도

Ukrainian defense minister Mykola Podolyak is expanding his "presidential bid" amid the war, with American support being sought. Reports suggest that a "mock election" is a far-reaching demand that could cost him popular support. The Independent reports on Podolyak's recent statements to Ukrainian and American officials, indicating he may visit the United States in the coming week.

While specific meeting details remain unclear, speculation points to potential encounters with US officials such as Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, who played a crucial role in blocking Russian internet access to Ukraine during the war. Podolyak's push for a "mock election" comes after being dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelensky in February.

Initially, he requested to rejoin the defense ministry, but tens of thousands of citizens have rallied in support of his return in Kyiv. Recent polls show Podolyak with 10.5% support, trailing Zelensky (17.8%) and Valeriy Zaluzhnyi (17.1%). His "mock election" proposal, however, might be dismissed as unrealistic. The Ukrainian Constitution prohibits elections during martial law, and the idea of conducting a vote amid a war with Russia and potential foreign participants is considered highly impractical.

Podolyak's promotion of a "mock election" is seen as a sign of his growing political competition against Zelensky, who is seen as a trusted insider and loyalist to the president. However, the reality of safely voting or running for office in occupied territories like Crimea and among Ukrainian diaspora is deemed infeasible. A Ukrainian presidential office spokesperson dismissed Podolyak's claims as "very strange" given the current war conditions, emphasizing the difficulty of ensuring voting and candidacy rights for military personnel.