Zelensky considers organising a presidential election to counter Trump and Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering amending the law that prohibits elections during wartime. He wants to put an end to accusations of illegitimacy made by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and secure Western guarantees for the holding of elections despite the conflict. Kyiv is under increasing pressure over the conduct of the war and the governance of the country.

For several weeks, Moscow has been repeating that no peace agreement will be signed with a president it considers "illegitimate". Washington, for its part, is pressing Kyiv to move towards a territorial compromise with Russia, while criticising the absence of elections since the start of the invasion. Zelensky rejects these arguments and says he is prepared to consult the Ukrainian people within 60 to 90 days if the security of the vote can be guaranteed.

However, organising an election in the midst of war remains a colossal challenge. Electoral law prohibits any voting under martial law, and more than 20% of the territory remains occupied. Any legislative change would require a vote in Parliament and a system capable of integrating refugees, internally displaced persons and possibly online voting, despite the risks of cyber interference.

American pressure is in line with the Kremlin's interests: pushing for a change in Ukrainian leadership in the hope of securing a peace agreement favourable to Moscow. However, despite a recent drop in popularity, Zelensky remains the most supported political figure in the country. Overly direct attacks from abroad could even strengthen the reflex to rally around the president.

As things stand, an early election appears to be a strategic gamble: a demonstration of democratic resilience for Kiev, but also a new dividing line in international negotiations on the future of the conflict. Politico

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IN SHORT
🇹🇭 Thailand - 🇰🇭 Cambodia • More than 500,000 people have fled fighting that resumed this weekend between Thailand and Cambodia. Bangkok says it has displaced more than 400,000 civilians in the face of an "imminent threat", while Phnom Penh reports more than 101,000 evacuees. The clashes have left at least 11 people dead and broken the ceasefire signed at the end of October.

🇯🇵 Japan • Japanese authorities have revised the number of injured to 51 after the 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck the north of the archipelago on Monday, up from the 30 initially reported. Roads and buildings were damaged, and a 70 cm tsunami was observed. However, the Meteorological Agency is warning of a possible new tremor of comparable magnitude in the next seven days, particularly in the Sanriku and Hokkaido regions.

🇺🇦 Ukraine • Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz held a 40-minute videoconference with Donald Trump to try to advance US mediation on the war. According to the Élysée Palace, the leaders welcomed Washington's efforts to achieve a "robust and lasting" peace and are continuing their intensive diplomatic work. Meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in London on Monday, they sought to consolidate their support for Kiev as the United States presses Ukraine to make concessions, particularly territorial ones.

🇵🇸 Palestine • Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said that the "yellow line" established in the Gaza Strip now constitutes a "new border" with Israel. This line marks the first withdrawal provided for in the truce agreement with Hamas, which came into force on the 10 October. According to the current plan, two further withdrawals are to follow, subject to conditions, while Israel intends to retain control of all the enclave's borders.

🇬🇳 Guinea-Bissau • Two weeks after the coup on 26 November, opposition figures in exile in Dakar are urging ECOWAS to impose a return to constitutional order at its summit on 14 December. They are calling for the victory of Fernando Dias da Costa to be recognised and for the president-elect to be escorted to the palace, accusing the organisation of applying double standards after its firm stance in Benin.

ECOWAS • The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, said that the West African community was in a "state of emergency" after the attempted coup in Benin and the one that occurred ten days earlier in Guinea-Bissau. He cited the increase in coups and the jihadist threat, while pointing out that no formal state of emergency mechanism exists or has been activated.

🇪🇺 European Union • French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called on the European Union to accelerate its move towards true strategic autonomy in response to the new US doctrine, which is particularly aggressive towards the continent. Presented as prioritising the Western Hemisphere, the US national security strategy describes a European continent in decline and anticipates its "civilisational fade". Paris sees this as confirmation of its position since 2017, and Brussels rejects any American interference in European political life.

🇩🇰 Denmark • The military intelligence service (DDIS) has for the first time described the United States as a potential risk, believing that Washington is now using its economic and technological power as leverage, including against its allies. The United States' increased interest in Greenland is fuelling these tensions.

🇪🇺 European Union • The European Commission wants to speed up electricity interconnections to facilitate electricity exports between France and the Iberian Peninsula, following the massive power outage on 28 April that plunged Spain and Portugal into darkness. Madrid and Lisbon have been calling for years for the cross-border network to be strengthened, accusing Paris of slowness. Brussels is now pushing for eight energy highways, including two new underground lines under the Pyrenees, and is aiming for a major overhaul of European electricity networks by 2040.

🇺🇸 United States • Washington plans to require visitors from visa-exempt countries to undergo a five-year review of their social media history. The C.B.P. (Customs and Border Protection) also wants to collect additional personal data, such as 10 years of email addresses and family information. The tourism sector fears this will put a damper on international travel, and digital freedom advocates denounce it as an increased risk to privacy.

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