Apparently, Kyiv is not expecting the violence to end anytime soon – martial law and general mobilization are being extended by a further 90 days. According to President Zelensky, the war can only end through diplomatic channels.
Ukraine has extended martial law, which has been in effect since the end of February, by a further 90 days. In view of the Russian war of aggression, the parliament in Kyiv also voted to extend the general mobilization until August 23, as several MPs wrote in the Telegram news service. A day later, on August 24, Ukraine traditionally celebrates its Independence Day.
Martial law gives the military extended rights and restricts civil liberties such as the right to demonstrate. Many experts see the duration of the state of war as an indicator of how long Kyiv is currently preparing for possible fighting. The corresponding draft law was published last week at the suggestion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyi first declared the state of war on February 24, a few hours after Russia’s attack, and then had it extended twice by 30 days each. The general mobilization, on the other hand, applied immediately for 90 days.
Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Oleksiy Arestovych justified this time’s relatively long-term extension of martial law last Wednesday: the war that Russia had started will last until the fall, he said. The Ukrainian population is only being given false hope if martial law is only ever extended by 30 days, as has been the case up to now. Honest communication with society is necessary in war, said the adviser, who mainly talks about military issues.
Head of state Selenskyj had recently emphasized that the war could ultimately only be ended through diplomacy. The war will be “bloody, there will be fierce fighting, but it will only end definitively through diplomacy,” Zelenskyy told the Ukrainian broadcaster ICTV.
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