Elections in Ukraine aren’t possible yet, but everyone is waiting for them. Monitoring media and social networks.
The research team at the Lviv Media Forum carried out a monitoring study of the Ukrainian social media space and international media, analyzing messages about possible elections in Ukraine to identify key narratives, trends, and potential risks for the information landscape.
The issue of holding elections in Ukraine surfaces from time to time in both domestic and international information spaces. Mentions of the need to hold elections—first presidential and later parliamentary—have increased since the constitutional term of the president’s mandate expired.
A second trigger that deepened the discourse around potential elections came from statements by then–U.S. President Donald Trump, voiced by him and his political allies even before his election and inauguration. This discourse carries a sense of pressure, primarily from international partners who raise the issue of elections as an integral part of Ukraine’s democratic development.
This study focuses on the key messages communicated by international partners, Russia, and Ukraine—and on how social media users respond to them. It covers the period from February through the end of June 2025 and provides insights into which narratives dominate, how they align with the positions of different actors, and how they shape public discourse.