U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told American journalist Tucker Carlson in an interview on March 21 that Ukraine's leadership has agreed to hold a presidential election.
Carlson echoed a Russian narrative saying that Moscow considers President Volodymyr Zelensky "not elected" and, therefore, "can't sign any kind of treaty."
"Do you think there will be elections in Ukraine?" Carlson asked. "Yes. There will be. They've agreed to it. There will be elections in Ukraine," Witkoff responded without providing further details.
The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify these claims.
The Kremlin has long tried to portray Zelensky as illegitimate to undermine Kyiv.
On Feb. 18, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for talks with Zelensky but insisted that "legal aspects related to his legitimacy" must be considered. Meanwhile, Putin himself has ruled Russia for over 20 years.
Ukraine has not held elections during Russia's full-scale war because they are prohibited under martial law, which was declared on Feb. 24, 2022, just hours after the invasion began. Ukrainian law also requires elections to be safe, equal, and uninterrupted—conditions that are impossible to meet while Russia continues its attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure.
Witkoff also noted that he is completely certain Russia will not attack Europe, dismissing concerns about a potential Russian advance across the continent as unfounded.
Elsa Court
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