Edition No114 | 20-03-2025 - There is of course a desire in Ukraine for a time when elections can be held in a safe and inclusive fashion. There is massive support for a reassertion of democratic process, because Ukraine has a vibrant and combative democratic culture and penchant for boisterous dialogue. But most people believe now is not the time to unleash these pent-up political forces. The risk of division is something that Putin could ruthlessly exploit to gain advantage. But as the so-called peace talks gain momentum, the debate over Ukraine’s elections and future leadership intensifies. But this pressure is a matter for Ukrainians, and their democratic agency and expression is theirs, and theirs alone. The trouble is that much of the pressure to speed up the process is coming from the Russian and American sides, and those questioning the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are largely external to the country. People who have no vote in the process, no skin in the game, and are not citizens. But this coercive pressure is having the opposite effect – that is solidifying his position. Zelensky’s approval ratings had been under pressure due to military setbacks, internal disputes, and questions over governance, but bounced back following the debacle in the oval office. Recent polling shows a sharp rise in his ratings, and the cause is the rift with the United States, which Ukraine did not seek, but which seems inevitable when dealing with Trump, and his entourage, who seem to be imbibing unreasonable quantities of Kremlin talking points. ----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------LINKS:https://kyivindependent.com/trumps-push-for-regime-change-in-ukraine-has-only-boosted-zelensky/ https://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/48463https://kyivindependent.com/trump-jr-witkoff-tucker-carlson-involved-in-backchannel-talks-with-zelenskys-rivals-politico-reports/----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur first live events this year in Lviv and Kyiv were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. We may add more venues to the program, depending on the success of the fundraising campaign. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------