Ukraine is a democratic state
Can the 2014 Maidan be considered a coup?
Published
08.04.2024
No, the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 (also known as the Maidan) had no signs of a coup.
A coup is a sudden, unconstitutional and violent change of government which has no specific organizers.
For example, the Coup of 18 Brumaire in France was a November 9, 1799 coup d’état during which Napoleon dissolved the parliament and became the head of the Consulate.
In the case of the Revolution of Dignity, firstly, all documented events of this Revolution, including a peaceful protest against the decision of the then Cabinet of Ministers to suspend the preparations for the signing of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, were constitutional and based on the will of the people. The only source of power in Ukraine is the people, which has the right to assembly, declaration of will and defense of its right to a decent life, and it was violated by Yanukovych’s government. The citizens were implementing their right to peaceful protest and the Revolution itself was of non-violent nature, but Yanukovych’s regime still responded to it with violence. It is about the first forceful dispersal of the students on the Maidan on November 30, 2013, during which 37 activists were injured. And on the night of January 22, 2014, the first three citizens of Ukraine were killed. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, a total of 2,500 people were injured during the Revolution, 104 of them died – most in February 2014. (Forty-eight peaceful participants of the Revolution of Dignity sustained fatal injuries during one day alone, on February 20, 2014).
Secondly, the popular protest was aimed at not seizing the power but returning Ukraine to its European path. After Yanukovych ran away, his powers were transferred to the Verkhovna Rada chairman, in line with the Constitution of Ukraine, and one of the key tasks was to hold the elections as soon as possible. After the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine held both presidential and parliamentary elections. The world recognized that they were democratic, transparent and complying with international standards. Thus, Ukraine proved its commitment to the democratic values, which was encroached by Yanukovych’s regime, and the sustainability of democratic institutions.
There is no objective reason for considering it a coup. The narrative about a coup is Russian propaganda aimed at devaluating the event and justifying the occupation of Donbas and Crimea, as well as the full-scale war against Ukraine.
This text is based on materials from the Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security.
Why are elections not held in Ukraine?
Published
08.04.2024
The Constitution of Ukraine prohibits elections under martial law. In addition, around 10 million citizens are physically unable to attend the polling stations and cast ballots. There are also a range of other problems.
The Constitution of Ukraine prohibits elections under martial law. And holding them is literally dangerous. The powers of the President can be terminated only in case of his resignation, inability to carry out his duties, impeachment or death. Also, parliamentary elections cannot be held during a war.
Around 10 million citizens are physically unable to come and cast ballots. Holding elections in their absence is a direct violation of the citizens’ rights.
First of all, it is about the servicemen who will not be able to vote because they are taking part in the hostilities and do not have proper conditions for voting at the front. As of the beginning of 2024, around 880,000 Ukrainians serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the majority of them are at the frontline.
More than 7 million Ukrainian refugees are also unable to vote, because none of the countries of their stay can organize this. During the 2019 elections, there were around 200,000 Ukrainians in Poland and only four polling stations worked there. Today, more than a million Ukrainians are living in Poland. Also, the citizens on the territories temporarily occupied by Russia will be unable to vote.
International observers are always present at the elections in Ukraine. It is impossible to ensure security in crowded places for the observers, polling stations staff and citizens who would come to vote amid Russia’s constant shelling.
In addition to all the factors listed above, elections are a costly event. Today, the budget of Ukraine is directed mainly to ensuring the country’s defense capability, including financing of the Armed Forces’ needs. Also, a considerable part of the budget covers social assistance for war-affected citizens: people who lost their homes or were seriously injured, as well as children who became orphans as a result of the war. According to the Finance Ministry, the estimated cost of the elections is $250 million.
Ukrainians have always supported democratic values, including elections. However, elections must be conducted in accordance with all procedures. All citizens of Ukraine should have free access to vote, without threats to their lives from the Russian army. As soon as this is achieved, elections in Ukraine will definitely take place.
Is Ukraine a democratic state?
Published
31.05.2024
Yes, Ukraine is a democracy. The government is changed regularly in Ukraine, there are a lot of independent media and a developed civil society in the country – it is due to these facts that the European Union decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine.
Since the declaration of independence, Ukraine has been almost the most stable supporter of democracy and its values. Real elections are held in our country and the government is changed quite often. There have been several attempts to introduce authoritarianism in Ukraine, but all of them triggered strong resistance in society. Authoritarianism has weak chances in Ukraine. There are also a lot of independent media and a developed civil society in Ukraine, as well as an advanced local self-government system and a wide range of community rights.
Ukraine experienced two democratic revolutions, both of which emerged from completely organic impulses among the people and triumphed. For the 11th year in a row, Ukrainians are defending the right to democratic choice and European integration with their lives. Even during martial law, when in fact a military dictatorship is possible, Ukrainians have managed to preserve democratic processes in the country – the government responds to petitions, officials lose their positions due to corruption scandals, and those involved in journalistic investigations find themselves under the watchful gaze of law enforcement agencies. That is, Ukrainians know not only how to protect their freedom, but also how to use it.
Of course, not everything is so perfect and there are many negative phenomena in Ukraine, such as corruption scandals. But all this exists to a greater or lesser extent in various countries of the world, even the most democratic ones. Ukraine is still a very young state that has escaped from the Soviet, and essentially Russian, influence not so long ago. It is very difficult to streamline all the processes and mechanisms in the country over such a short period of time so that they work in the same way as in stable democracies. In addition, even after Ukraine regained its independence, Russia tried to affect the processes in our country during all these years by bribing political elites as well as spreading its influence and disinformation here.
We still have a lot of work to do in the way of domestic transformations, improvement of legislation and reform of the country. But on June 23, 2022, Ukraine was granted the status of a candidate for joining the European Union, and on December 14, 2023, the European Council decided to open the accession negotiations with Ukraine. If Ukraine was not a democracy and had not proven it repeatedly, the EU would not have made such decisions.
Is Volodymyr Zelenskyy a legitimate President of Ukraine?
Published
31.05.2024
Despite the fact that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected as President of Ukraine in the spring of 2019, he remains the legitimate head of state even after five years of rule, which expired on May 20, 2024. After all, we literally do not have a practical opportunity to elect his successor, and while there is no new president, the powers of the incumbent one are extended.
According to Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine On the President of Ukraine and the Procedure for Terminating His Powers, the president is elected for a term of five years. But the same article of the law states that the president performs his powers until the newly elected president of Ukraine takes office or in case of early termination of his powers.
However, we cannot elect a successor now, because the Constitution of Ukraine prohibits holding elections during martial law. In addition, there are a number of practical reasons that make it impossible now to hold elections in such a way that they can be considered legitimate. Read more about it on our website. Therefore, since there is no possibility to elect a new president, the incumbent’s mandate is automatically extended.
The powers of the president can also be terminated in the event of his resignation, inability to perform them for health reasons, removal from office by impeachment, or in the event of his death. All these reasons are enshrined in the law, but at the moment there is no practical implementation of all of them.
The main thing is the continuity and durability of state power. Therefore, the President of Ukraine, on absolutely legal grounds, retains his powers until his successor takes office.
Why can’t the current situation in Ukraine be called dictatorship?
Published
28.08.2024
There is no dictatorship in Ukraine, and there cannot be any. Yes, martial law impacts political life, in particular, it does not allow for elections. However, this is absolutely logical in the circumstances in which Ukraine now finds itself, and it has nothing to do with dictatorship. Instead, Ukraine’s democracy is proved by the fact that the European Union decided to open negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to its membership, which would have been impossible if there had been a dictatorship.
A dictatorship is an unlimited political, economic, and ideological power in a state concentrated in the hands of one or more individuals or a certain class. The authorities in North Korea, Russia, and Belarus, where any elections are a sham, the government does not change, and it is not actually accountable to its people, can be called dictatorships. Ukraine is a democratic country (Question No. 62. Is Ukraine a democratic country?), and the Ukrainian people have repeatedly demonstrated that they will never tolerate any dictatorship. Ukrainians have already held two revolutions – the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity – and both times they prevented the establishment of a dictatorship in the country.
Currently, Ukraine is under martial law, which does limit some democratic manifestations, including the holding of elections (Question No. 55. Why are there no elections in Ukraine?), so the government automatically extends its powers and is considered legitimate. (Question No. 72. Does President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy remain legitimate?) But this is absolutely legal and logical in a situation where the country is actually under threat of destruction by the enemy. And it has nothing to do with dictatorship.
Also, if there were a dictatorship in Ukraine, democratic Western countries would immediately declare it. Instead, Ukraine’s president attends the G7 and NATO summits. Recently, Ukraine organized the largest event in its history, the Peace Summit, bringing together 97 countries and four international organizations. And the main proof of the absence of dictatorship in Ukraine is that it is successfully continuing its European integration process, and on June 21, 2024, the Council of the European Union confirmed the opening of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU. This a priori would not have been possible if Ukraine had been ruled by a dictatorship.
What is important to understand about the situation surrounding NABU, SAP, and the protests in Ukraine?
Published
04.08.2025
A political crisis has emerged in Ukraine due to the government’s attempt to undermine the independence of NABU (National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) and SAP (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office). Young people in various cities took to the streets to express their outrage at these actions. And it worked — the Ukrainian authorities listened to the protesters and began working on restoring the independence of the anti-corruption bodies. This situation once again proved: Ukraine is a democratic country where power belongs to the people — or, as the current joke goes, to “people with cardboard signs.”
In a turbo mode, the authorities adopted Draft Law No. 12414, which subordinated NABU and SAP to the Prosecutor General, effectively stripping them of their independence. As a result, such actions by the authorities cast doubt on Ukraine’s progress toward European integration, since transparency and effective functioning of anti-corruption institutions are among the key requirements from the EU. Ukrainians responded immediately, protesting even under martial law — these were the first mass demonstrations since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. However, they do not violate Ukrainian law, as they are peaceful in nature and a legitimate form of resistance.
Activists, journalists, students, and ordinary concerned Ukrainians joined the protests. Notably, most of them are young people. During the Revolution of Dignity, many of them were still schoolchildren, and now they view Ukraine’s post-2014 anti-corruption infrastructure as the norm. That’s why their resistance to weakening the anti-corruption bodies is natural and proves that Ukraine has developed a mature civil society.
Importantly, these protests took place in cities all across Ukraine — from West to East, from North to South. In Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kropyvnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Lutsk, Rivne, and other cities, people painted slogans on cardboard signs and chanted: “Hands off NABU!”, “Change or die”, “The decision can’t wait”, “No to the shameful law!”, “Independent NABU is a guarantee of justice.” They were united by opposition to Draft Law No. 12414 and a shared commitment to a fair fight against corruption. This also disproves one of the myths promoted by Russian propaganda — that only residents of western Ukraine aspire to join Europe.
The protests have once again demonstrated that Ukrainians strive for a European future, further integration into the EU, and alignment with European values. The independence of anti-corruption institutions is not only a requirement for EU accession — it is also a core value. The fact that society actively monitors the authorities, peacefully expresses disagreement, and demands change is a sign of a living democracy.
As a result, the Ukrainian authorities listened to the protesters and are working on correcting the situation — by restoring the independence of NABU and SAP. In particular, all relevant parliamentary committees first supported the new draft law, followed later by the Verkhovna Rada, which repeals the provisions of the controversial legislation. This is yet another piece of evidence of Ukraine’s democratic nature, as no matter how imperfect the Ukrainian government may be, it still responds to the will of the people.
Do the protests against Law No. 12414 violate Ukrainian legislation?
Published
06.08.2025
No, they do not. Despite martial law, these are peaceful protests that represent a legitimate form of civil resistance.
The government, acting in a fast-track manner, adopted Draft Law No. 12414, which subordinated NABU and SAP to the Prosecutor General, effectively stripping them of their independence. Ukrainians responded immediately and took to the streets that same evening — these were the first mass protests since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. However, they do not violate Ukrainian legislation, as they are peaceful in nature and constitute a lawful form of resistance.
Who took part in the protests in mid-July 2025, and why?
Published
06.08.2025
Activists, students, journalists, and ordinary concerned Ukrainians from all regions of the country took part in the protests. The majority of participants were young people. They stood against the weakening of the independence of anti-corruption institutions and, at the same time, against any shift away from Ukraine’s path toward European integration.
The issues of the independence of anti-corruption bodies and Ukraine’s European integration course are closely connected, as transparency and the effective functioning of anti-corruption institutions are among the key requirements set by the EU.
Notably, most of the protesters were young people who were still in school during the Revolution of Dignity. They now see the anti-corruption infrastructure, which has developed in Ukraine since 2014, as a given. That is why their resistance to the weakening of anti-corruption institutions is natural and serves as evidence that a strong civil society has taken root in Ukraine.
Importantly, the protests occurred in cities across Ukraine — from West to East, from North to South. In Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kropyvnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Lutsk, Rivne, and other cities, people painted slogans on cardboard signs and chanted: “Hands off NABU!”, “Change or die”, “The decision can’t wait”, “No to the shameful law!”, “An independent NABU is a guarantee of justice.”
They were united by opposition to Draft Law No. 12414 and the desire to preserve the country’s course toward European integration. This also dispels one of the myths of Russian propaganda — that only residents of Ukraine’s western regions want to join Europe.
Why do the protests against Draft Law No. 12414 reflect Ukrainians’ aspiration to join the EU?
Because this draft law abolished the independence of NABU and SAP, and the independence of anti-corruption institutions is a key requirement for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
Overall, Draft Law No. 12414 addressed the procedures of pre-trial investigations into criminal offenses related to the disappearance of persons under special circumstances during martial law. However, last-minute amendments were introduced that dealt with entirely different matters. According to these amendments, NABU and SAP were placed directly under the authority of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. This completely eliminated the independence of these anti-corruption institutions. And the independence of NABU and SAP is one of the essential conditions for Ukraine’s EU membership.
For Ukrainians, maintaining Ukraine’s course toward European Union integration is a matter of critical importance.
Why are the protests against Draft Law No. 12414 a confirmation of Ukraine’s democratic course of development?
Published
06.08.2025
Because society actively monitors the government, peacefully expresses disagreement, and demands change — all of which are signs of a vibrant democracy.
Ukrainians strongly opposed the adoption of Draft Law No. 12414, which would have made the independence of anti-corruption institutions impossible and, consequently, hindered progress toward European integration. The protests took place peacefully across all regions of Ukraine.
As a result, the Ukrainian government listened to the protesters and is working to correct the situation by restoring the independence of NABU and SAP. In particular, all relevant parliamentary committees, and later the Verkhovna Rada, supported a new draft law that repeals the provisions of the controversial legislation.
This is yet another piece of evidence of Ukraine’s democratic nature, as — despite all the imperfections of the Ukrainian government — it still responds to the will of the people.