Igor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv, categorically rejected the possibility of moving to a position in the central government before the end of hostilities in an interview with RBC-Ukraine. Responding to a direct question about the prospect of leaving his city post for a role in Kyiv, the mayor stated: “Until the end of the war – I am definitely in Kharkiv. Note that down.” In doing so, Terekhov affirmed his commitment to the city for the entire remaining period of the conflict, leaving no room for interpretation.
Elections as a symbol of the postwar order
A separate part of the interview is devoted to the topic of holding elections amid an ongoing war. Terekhov expressed his conviction that under current realities it is impossible to ensure the full democratic nature of the electoral process or to guarantee all citizens the right to vote and to stand for election. “In my opinion – under such conditions, elections cannot be held. Unfortunately,” the mayor emphasized. According to him, elections should reflect the genuine will of the citizens, rather than be held for the sake of political ratings, and should become a symbol of the end of the war, forming a government that will focus on rebuilding the country.
The problem of voter turnout and citizen participation
Terekhov separately drew attention to structural problems that make the electoral process unreliable under current conditions. These include the participation of Ukrainians abroad, as well as people without a registered place of residence. The mayor noted that with low turnout there is a real risk that the voting results will not reflect the position of society as a whole. He also emphasized that the political process should not provoke new internal confrontation: “Elections for the sake of ratings are not needed. Otherwise, there will be a problem.”
The diplomatic process as a priority
Commenting on the timing of possible elections, Terekhov stated that he would not make them the main issue right now, since the diplomatic process is ongoing. In his view, the results of the negotiations must first be awaited and peace achieved, after which the opportunity for full-fledged elections will arise. The mayor also noted that society is changing, and along with it political priorities may change and new leaders may emerge, which further argues for postponing the electoral process until the situation stabilizes.
Context: the mayor's tax initiative
It is worth recalling that Igor Terekhov previously proposed changing the approach to the taxation of socially significant goods. In particular, he advocated reducing VAT on basic food products and medicines instead of raising it. This initiative reflects the mayor's overall course of protecting socially vulnerable groups of the population amid the ongoing conflict and economic pressure on the region.
