The mayor of Mykolaiv backed Zelenskyy: Ukrainians will elect their own president after the war, and the drones will continue to do their job

The Mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, has backed Volodymyr Zelensky in his criticism of the US-Russia diesel deal; photo courtesy of the mayor’s press office

The Mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, stated that the decision on who will lead Ukraine must be made by the Ukrainian people themselves. This was his response to US President Donald Trump’s statement that it was «time for Ukraine to elect a new president».

This is stated in a post on the Facebook page of Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych.

«It is up to the Ukrainian people to decide who governs Ukraine. Elections are not held during martial law; this is stipulated by the Constitution. When the war ends, we will elect our own president,» wrote Oleksandr Sienkevych.

The mayor also backed the position of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who criticised the US agreements with Russia regarding diesel fuel. According to Oleksandr Sienkevych, these agreements will not help to significantly reduce fuel prices in the US, but may bring political benefits.

«We are grateful to the American people for the weapons, for the aid to our communities, and for the lives saved. But gratitude does not mean remaining silent when our most effective tool for putting pressure on the aggressor is being offered in exchange for 14 hours of cheaper diesel,» wrote the mayor of Mykolaiv.

Oleksandr Sienkevych noted that the US plans to ease sanctions on Russian diesel for six months. Russia, he said, promises to supply up to 4.8 million tonnes of fuel to the global market. At the same time, the mayor believes that even this entire volume would cover US diesel consumption for approximately nine days and would have almost no impact on prices at petrol stations.

The mayor of Mykolaiv also stated that Russia has restricted diesel exports due to strikes on its oil refineries. He believes that, under these circumstances, easing sanctions would primarily benefit Russia, and that calls to halt strikes on oil refineries are aimed at stopping Ukrainian pressure on the Russian economy.

«Our drones are continuing to do their job. That is precisely why Putin is so keen to see them stopped,» added the mayor of Mykolaiv.

It should be noted that Mykolaiv regularly supplies drones to the military. In early October, Sienkevych announced another consignment of standard FPV drones and fibre-optic-controlled drones for troops operating on the eastern front.

The Mykolaiv authorities regularly supply drones to military units; photo courtesy of the Mykolaiv City Council press office

Separately, Oleksandr Sienkevych criticised the fact that, in his words, the Ukrainian delegation’s negotiations with Trump’s representatives in Florida were taking place in parallel with US agreements with Russia.

«We were invited to the negotiating table, but decisions were being made in another room. President Zelensky honestly called this a weak and dishonest decision. And he is right: negotiations cannot be a smokescreen for deals with the aggressor,» wrote the mayor.

He also linked the rise in fuel prices to the situation in the Middle East and the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Oleksandr Sienkevych believes that accusations that Ukraine is to blame for the rise in fuel prices are diverting attention from other causes.

It should be recalled that US President Donald Trump stated that it is time for Ukraine to elect a new president. He claims that Volodymyr Zelenskyy has had numerous opportunities to negotiate an end to the war, but has failed to take advantage of them.

For his part, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine is prepared to hold presidential elections provided there is a 60-day ceasefire.