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This article examines how Russian propaganda on Telegram is spinning narratives about elections in Ukraine and reacting to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s proposal for a "Christmas truce."
In November 2024, Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, campaigning on a promise to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours. Meanwhile, discussions about holding new presidential and parliamentary elections are also taking place in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed the Ukrainian presidential elections as a prerequisite for negotiations with Ukraine:
"Russia will talk to Zelenskyy if he participates in elections and gains legitimacy," Putin stated at a press conference on December 19.
Under Ukraine’s martial law, which is regulated by Article 19 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law”, elections cannot be held during its enforcement. However, discussions around halting hostilities and lifting martial law have prompted some political actors to begin election campaigns. For instance, an article in Ukrainian Pravda reported that Yulia Tymoshenko is intensifying her activity, offering a “joint campaign for the elections” to a wide range of stakeholders.
In November, Yuriy Boyko, head of the parliamentary group "Platform for Life and Peace," comprised of former members of the banned Opposition Platform—For Life (OPZZh) party, launched his campaign on TikTok. In his videos, Boyko addresses populist issues such as assistance for displaced persons and rising consumer prices. On December 14, he released a short video discussing "radicals" who "started demolishing monuments, renaming cities, banning people from speaking their native language, and preventing them from attending their chosen church." This rhetoric aligns with traditional Kremlin propaganda narratives aimed at dividing Ukrainians and fueling societal conflicts.
During a November 19 address in the Verkhovna Rada, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the surge of discussions surrounding elections:
"In Ukraine, some people might be so hungry for power that they prioritize internal struggles over our nation’s well-being. They want political debates in the trenches as if they were TV studios. This is disastrous for Ukraine."
Nevertheless, elections are impossible without lifting martial law, which in turn requires the cessation of Russia's invasion. Some international leaders are attempting to gain political leverage by proposing initiatives and plans for the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian war. One such initiative was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s December 11 proposal for a "Christmas truce" and a large-scale prisoner exchange. Orbán reportedly discussed this with Putin, who allegedly agreed. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó described the proposal as “unlike anything in the last thousand days.”
However, during a press conference in Brussels, Volodymyr Zelenskyy clarified that Hungary had not consulted Ukraine on the matter (unlike their conversations with Putin) regarding the "Christmas truce" idea:
"I am unaware of what Hungary proposes, apart from how festive 'Christmas exchange' sounds. We are not feeling festive at all... Nothing can be discussed or decided without Ukraine's involvement."
"Political Prostitutes Gain Momentum Ahead of Elections"
Pro-Russian channels, echoing Putin, are tying the Ukrainian elections to entrenched narratives about power usurpation by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Andriy Yermak. For instance, a Telegram channel with 1 million followers claimed that the head of the Presidential Office allegedly does not intend to hold presidential elections because "Zelenskyy's ratings continue to fall and have equaled those of former president Petro Poroshenko." The propagandist supports this assertion with dubious statistical data of unknown origin.
The same Telegram channel also discredited the newly established Ministry of National Unity, stating that "7 million Ukrainian refugees abroad pose a serious threat" to Zelenskyy because they "are not under the influence of the unified telethon." The propagandist claims that to retain power, Zelenskyy plans to falsify the election results by manipulating votes from citizens abroad, allegedly using the Ministry of National Unity to reduce the number of eligible voters abroad.
Propagandists have called former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhnyy as Zelenskyy's main rival. The same Telegram channel alleged that the Presidential Office fears the ratings of Zaluzhnyy and Kyrylo Budanov, which reportedly surpass Zelenskyy’s. It further claims that this is why "Budanov was removed from the airwaves and has disappeared from screens, while Zaluzhnyy was sent to London in hopes of erasing him from the information space."
Hostile Russian agitational propaganda has repeatedly orchestrated disinformation campaigns about conflicts between Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyy, aiming to sow division between Ukraine’s military and political leadership.
Another Telegram channel with 115,000 followers claimed that "the British are preparing Zaluzhnyy to replace Zelenskyy," quoting former Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Dubinskyy, who has been accused of treason and is currently in pre-trial detention. Dubinskyy allegedly stated, "Zelenskyy will not participate in any elections but will clear the path for his 'colleague' in cooperation with MI-6 — Zaluzhnyy."
By spreading such messages, propagandists fuel established Kremlin narratives that "Zelenskyy is a puppet of the West."
Pro-Kremlin propagandists also linked Yuriy Boyko’s statements to British influence. A channel with 138,000 followers claimed that "OPZZh" (Opposition Platform—For Life) and its people's deputy Serhiy Lyovochkin are working "for Bankova and the British," whom the UK allegedly needs to "retain control over the colony."
Collaborator and pro-Kremlin propagandist of Ukrainian origin Tetyana Montyan described Boyko’s video as evidence that "political prostitutes gain momentum ahead of elections." The traitorous propagandist expressed dissatisfaction, stating that "Boyko and his team serve the interests of presidents (both Poroshenko and Zelenskyy)."
Another propagandist Telegram channel with 1 million followers claimed that "Yermak instructed his satellites to initiate the game" supposedly and "played the OPZZh card." According to the propagandist, this is allegedly an attempt by Ukrainian authorities to shift the informational focus away from failures on the frontlines.
Yuriy Boyko's TikTok videos were also criticized by Diana Panchenko, a former NewsOne anchor affiliated with Viktor Medvedchuk. Panchenko left for Russia and is now a suspect in a criminal offense for justifying Russian aggression. She accused Boyko of being "a traitor to his ideals and himself" in her Telegram channel with nearly 350,000 followers.
"Christmas Truce"
To spread disinformation about Ukraine's desire to end the war, Russian and pro-Kremlin propagandists cited Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó. For example, the propaganda outlet RT, via a Telegram channel with 1 million followers, quoted Szijjártó as saying, "Instead of considering a 'Christmas truce,' EU states want to give Ukraine €6 billion for weapons." Similarly, a pro-Russian channel with 451,000 followers quoted Szijjártó:
"No one expressed support. Only my Slovak colleague backed keeping diplomatic solutions on the agenda. Moreover, many opposed the ceasefire."
Such statements from the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, amplified by Russian propagandists, serve to discredit both Ukraine and the West. They push the narrative that neither is interested in "reconciliation" but only in war. Furthermore, pro-Kremlin propagandists used Hungary's statements to promote their own claims: "Putin wants peace, but Ukraine refuses."
"Zelenskyy’s refusal of the Christmas truce and prisoner exchange proposed by Orbán confirms Kyiv's lack of interest in peace," stated a propaganda channel with 501,000 followers.
Pro-Russian propagandist Anatoliy Shariy, suspected of treason, also targeted Ukraine's leadership. On his Telegram channel with 1.3 million followers, he claimed, "Zelenskyy, through his speechwriter, accused Orbán of shelling Ukraine." In reality, this was a distortion, as Ukrainian Presidential Communications Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn reported on platform X that Moscow had used Orbán’s statements as a pretext to cover up preparations for strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Another traitor, former Party of Regions MP Oleg Tsaryov, mocked Ukraine in his Telegram channel with 343,000 followers, saying, "A Christmas truce is not beneficial to Russia because Russia is advancing while Ukraine loses territory daily." In the same post, Tsaryov discredited President Zelensky, calling him "an angry, unfunny clown."
Hostile agitational propaganda focuses its efforts on exacerbating conflicts and divisions within Ukrainian society by manipulating the topic of post-war elections. Propagandists portray elections in Ukraine as the most effective solution to all of the country's problems. Publications on the topic of elections first appeared in the spring of 2024, as Volodymyr Zelensky's presidential term approached its end. Since then, Telegram channels have disseminated messages about illegitimate authorities in Ukraine and called for protests. In publications advocating for elections, propagandists attempt to shift all the blame for Ukraine's current events onto the authorities, including accusations related to the need to defend the country from Russian military aggression. By doing so, they aim to divert attention away from Russia as the aggressor state.
Propagandists also seek to improve Russia's international image and strengthen its negotiating position by framing Ukraine as a state that allegedly does not want peace and rejects all proposals for conflict resolution. These efforts are bolstered by the actions of the Hungarian Prime Minister and disparaging statements from the Hungarian Foreign Ministry targeting Ukraine and Europe, contributing to this goal.
Negative assessments of Yuriy Boyko’s actions have predominantly come from traitors and collaborators who fled Ukraine for Russia. This reaction may be influenced by the nature of relationships between politicians and propagandists who left for Russia and those who remained in Ukraine. Another factor is that, unlike the exiled traitors, Boyko—who was the top candidate on the Opposition Platform—For Life (OPZZh) list during the 2019 parliamentary elections—has stayed active in Ukrainian politics.
After making statements about "radicals," Yuriy Boyko was summoned for questioning by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Following his visit to the SBU, Boyko recorded a video apology. On December 19, the Verkhovna Rada, on its second attempt, removed Boyko from the Human Rights Committee. Despite these developments, the former co-chair of the pro-Russian OPZZh party remains in Ukrainian politics, balancing between pro-Russian and pro-government narratives, such as those expressed in comments to BBC News Ukraine.
Main page illustration by Nataliya Lobach
