On a weekend evening, a group of friends has gathered at someone’s house to play their weekly game. Since the game has confusing rules, the rulebook needs to be consulted frequently to ensure the game continues fairly. Halfway through the game, several pages of that book disappear, but the game keeps on going. Some players adjust; others realize the outcome already changed, even if the clock keeps running.
A Vote Offered With Limits
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that any future election would exclude citizens living in eastern regions under Russian control. The statement was clear: millions of Ukrainians would lose their right to vote solely because of where they lived.
War complicates democracy; it doesn’t cancel it, but removing voters because geography has become inconvenient crosses a line from emergency governance into selective rule.
Emergency Power Settles In
Since Russia’s invasion, Zelensky expanded executive authority across nearly every institution. Opposition parties faced bans, the media was consolidated under central messaging, churches were closed, and protesters faced detention.
It’s a wartime necessity, claim supporters. Yet history offers a warning that gets ignored: Emergency powers rarely retreat once situations normalize. Leaders seldom willingly surrender authority, especially when global sympathy and foreign funding remain strong.
Democracy Can’t Pick Its Voters
Democracy survives because ballots mean more than leaders. Once leadership decides which citizens count, elections become a ceremony rather than a choice.
Everybody counts, or nobody does.
Eastern Ukrainians didn’t surrender citizenship, and geography didn’t revoke rights. Excluding millions reshapes outcomes before one single vote gets cast.
Such a practice doesn’t protect democracy; it manages it.
Western Silence Carries Weight
Western governments poured billions into Ukraine while praising democratic values. Concerns about civil liberties often met polite silence. Moral clarity felt easier when the conflict was framed as good versus evil. Foreign aid demands accountability; writing blank checks and ignoring internal crackdowns invites abuse. Defense funding shouldn’t purchase exemption from scrutiny.
Zelensky was granted the right to speak before the United States Congress, and did so, wearing his ubiquitous sweater.
Eventually, Zelensky learned a lesson the hard way when President Donald Trump won the presidency. Americans fund more than weapons; they also fund principles.
Tyranny Rarely Arrives Loudly
Despotism doesn’t always march in line with tanks; sometimes it arrives wrapped in urgency and survivalist language. Each restriction sounds reasonable on its own, but together they form a pattern.
When looking at things from far away, closing churches, arresting dissenters, and limiting elections never announced tyranny on their own. Combined, they erode trust and legitimacy in stages.
Intent matters less than any outcome. Citizens gradually lose freedom; then, in an instant, all at once.
Legitimacy Has Rules
Any leader who is confident in their public support welcomes broad participation. A leader worried about outcomes trims the electorate.
The future of Ukraine depends on resisting further foreign invasion and internal decay. Sacrificing any democratic legitimacy weakens the cause that supporters claim to defend. Victory without accountability rots quickly.
Even though war explains pressure, it doesn’t excuse selective democracy.
Final Thoughts
Throughout the night, the game continues, and the clock still runs. Some watch cheer, while others notice pages missing from the rulebook. Elections only matter when everyone counts.
Once pages disappear, fairness disappears with them, no matter who claims necessity.
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