Zelensky 'ready' to hold elections during war, if partners ensure security
Ukraine could be ready to hold elections during Russia's full-scale war if the U.S. and European partners help ensure security, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on Dec. 9.
Zelensky's statement follows U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks about elections in Ukraine. When asked, Trump said in an interview with Politico, aired on Dec. 9, that "it's time" for Ukraine to hold an election.
According to the Ukrainian president, such a move depends on security, as Russia continues to regularly attack the country, as well as on the ability of the soldiers to vote and on legislative issues.
"I'm asking now, and stating this openly, for the U.S. to help me. Together with our European partners, we can ensure the security needed to hold elections. If that happens, Ukraine will be ready to conduct elections in the next 60 to 90 days," said Zelensky, adding that he had not discussed this issue with Washington.
"I personally have the will and readiness for this."
Zelensky's remarks mark a new shift in Kyiv's position. Initially, Ukrainian officials said elections would be held only after the war ended, but Zelensky later said he would consider such a decision if a ceasefire were in place.
He has now urged lawmakers to draft legislative proposals that would allow for changes to the election law during martial law.
"I'm waiting for proposals from our partners, expecting suggestions from our lawmakers, and I am ready to go to the elections," Zelensky said.
Ukraine was scheduled to hold a presidential election in March or April 2024, concluding Zelensky's first five-year term.
Under the martial law passed by Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, presidential, parliamentary, and local elections are banned. Elections can only be held after martial law is lifted.
Zelensky, who has held the office since May 2019, said this September that he is open to not seek re-election after the war is over.
Only 22% of Ukrainians support elections after a ceasefire with security guarantees, while 63% believe elections should happen after the war ends, according to a recent survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
The topic of elections has once again been raised by the U.S., as Washington has been pushing Kyiv to negotiate a peace plan to end the war. The crucial talks are taking place amid a politically turbulent moment for Zelensky, following the largest corruption scandal of his presidency.
Only 20.3% of Ukrainians would vote for Zelensky in future presidential elections, according to an Info Sapiens survey conducted this fall after the corruption scandal. However, he remains the most popular candidate, slightly ahead of Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.K. and former commander-in-chief.
