Ukraine a 'genuine', 'fragile' democracy: 'Internal political turmoil will weaken political system'

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Dr. Volodymyr Yermolenko, President of PEN Ukraine, discusses Ukraine's fragile democracy amid wartime conditions, emphasizing the risks of suspending elections and centralizing political power. He highlights the challenge of balancing democratic accountability with wartime unity to maintain resistance against Russia without internal political turmoil.

Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Dr. Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher, journalist, author and President of PEN Ukraine. According to Dr Yermolenko, Ukraine is confronting serious threats to its democracy. Suspending elections during wartime carries real dangers as political power is increasingly centralized around President Zelensky. Yet holding elections while cities remain under attack could unleash precisely the political turmoil Ukraine can least afford. The challenge is not simply whether Ukraine should choose democracy or wartime unity, but how it can preserve democratic accountability without allowing internal political conflict to weaken its resistance to Russia.