'Ukraine is ready for elections', says Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky if allies ensure security

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signaled that the country is prepared to hold national elections, responding to comments from US President Donald Trump, who suggested Kyiv was using the war as a reason to delay the vote. Zelensky’s presidential term was set to end in May 2024, but elections have been paused under martial law, introduced when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Speaking to reporters after Trump’s remarks in a Politico interview, Zelensky said he would request legal proposals that could enable an election to be held.

He explained that a vote could take place within two to three months if the security of the electoral process could be guaranteed with support from Washington and other allies. “I am openly appealing to the United States and our European partners to help ensure the safety of the election process,” Zelensky said. He stressed that the decision to hold elections must ultimately belong to Ukrainians: “This is our choice to make, not the decision of other nations.”

Zelensky rejected claims that he is clinging to power, calling such accusations unfounded and dismissing suggestions that the continuation of the war somehow benefits him politically. Zelensky was elected in 2019 with more than 70% of the vote. Debate over the possibility of wartime elections has intensified since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Moscow has repeatedly argued that Zelensky no longer holds legitimate authority and has demanded new elections as part of any ceasefire arrangement, a narrative echoed by Trump, who told Politico that Ukraine’s democracy was weakening.

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Conducting a vote during an active conflict poses immense challenges. Front-line soldiers may be unable to participate without leave, and millions of Ukrainians displaced abroad would need access to voting mechanisms. Ensuring the safety of polling stations and voters would require extensive security planning. Ukrainian opposition figures say that a genuinely fair election would require every Ukrainian, including troops on the battlefield, to be able to take part. Lesia Vasylenko of the Golos party told the BBC that wartime elections are effectively impossible, drawing a comparison to the UK’s suspension of voting during World War Two.

Oleksiy Goncharenko of European Solidarity also rejected Zelensky’s suggestion, calling the idea unrealistic and warning that any rushed process could be manipulated. He argued that the full cycle of campaigning, debates, and public engagement cannot occur during a war. Within Ukraine’s political system, there is broad agreement that elections should not take place under martial law. Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee and a member of Zelensky’s party, said even critics of the president are against rushing into a vote, warning that a divisive campaign would serve Russia’s interests. According to him, President Vladimir Putin would welcome internal political fractures after failing to defeat Ukraine militarily.

Public sentiment reflects similar concerns. Data from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology shows only around 10% of Ukrainians want elections before a ceasefire or peace deal. A previous KIIS survey found a majority preferred elections only after a full settlement, with a smaller portion willing to consider a vote after a ceasefire with firm security guarantees. Many Ukrainians share these reservations. Yulia Tovkach, a business owner in Bucha, said that martial law must end first to ensure the vote is seen as legitimate. In Odesa, casting director Yana Kolomiets said she opposes holding an election now, despite her own frustrations with Zelensky’s governance.

Zelensky is currently traveling across Europe after US–Ukraine negotiations over the weekend failed to yield a mutually acceptable peace plan. He is urging European and NATO leaders to help prevent the US from endorsing a deal that Kyiv believes would leave the country vulnerable. Zelensky has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not surrender its land.