President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine is “ready for elections” if the country receives international assistance to ensure security, following renewed claims by US President Donald Trump that Kyiv is “using war” as an excuse to delay voting.
By Qamar Farooqui | International Desk
Zelensky’s five-year presidential term was set to end in May 2024, but nationwide elections remain suspended under martial law imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Responding to Trump’s remarks during a wide-ranging Politico interview, Zelensky told reporters that he has instructed officials to prepare proposals for possible legal changes that would allow elections to take place.
According to Zelensky, elections could be held within 60 to 90 days if the US and European partners help guarantee the safety of voters and polling stations.
“I am openly asking the United States—and, perhaps together with our European colleagues—to help ensure security for elections,” he said. “The issue of elections depends primarily on the people of Ukraine, not on other countries, with all respect to our partners.”
Rejecting allegations that he is holding onto power, Zelensky said he had heard “unreasonable narratives” suggesting the war is continuing because he is unwilling to hold elections. “Frankly, that is completely baseless,” he said.
Russia has repeatedly claimed that Zelensky is no longer a legitimate leader and has demanded new elections as a condition for any ceasefire—claims that Trump echoed in his remarks, suggesting without evidence that Zelensky is the main obstacle to peace.
Ukrainian opposition MP Lesia Vasylenko told the BBC that any vote would only be legitimate if all Ukrainians, including soldiers on the front lines, could participate. She also noted that “elections are never possible in wartime,” referencing how the UK suspended elections during World War Two.
Since the invasion began in 2022, discussions about holding elections have surfaced periodically, but Ukraine’s government, opposition, and the public have largely dismissed the idea, arguing national unity must take priority. A March poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found 78% of Ukrainians opposed elections, even after a full settlement of the war.
Foreign policy analyst Hanna Shelest of Ukrainian Prism told the BBC that Zelensky had previously expressed readiness to hold elections once conditions allowed. However, she noted the practical challenges: around one million soldiers, four million refugees, insecure territories, and ongoing Russian strikes.
“You cannot guarantee the security of polling stations under these conditions,” she said.
