&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Zelensky dismisses reports of Ukraine elections within three months, demands ceasefire and security guarantees first")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday (Feb 11) insisted that national elections in war-torn Ukraine will only take place after a ceasefire with Russia and credible security guarantees are in place. Pushing back against suggestions that Kyiv is preparing to hold a vote under pressure from Washington, the war president said, "First comes security, then politics".
Ceasefire first
"We will move to elections when all the relevant security guarantees are in place," Zelensky told journalists during a WhatsApp interaction. The president stressed that Ukraine itself has not raised the issue of elections during the war, though international partners have repeatedly brought it up. He added that organising elections would be straightforward once hostilities stop.
Dismissing reports that Kyiv was mulling to hold elections in the next three months, he said, “But of course we are ready for elections. I said it is very simple to do. Make a ceasefire, there will be elections...First comes security, then politics.”
Zelensky suggested that if Moscow agrees to halt fighting, it may be possible to "end hostilities by summer," thus opening the door to elections.
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Is it illegal to hold elections now?
Under Ukraine’s constitution, holding national elections while martial law is in effect is illegal. Martial law has been in place since February 24, 2022, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Large parts of Ukrainian territory remain under Russian occupation, making voting impossible in those areas.
How legitimate is Zelensky's presidency?
Zelensky, elected in 2019 to a five-year term, however, his term was extended after Russia launched its military operation. Moscow continues to insist that Zelensky's mandate expired in 2024. Last year, US President Donald Trump also criticised Zelensky's presidency, saying Ukraine "is on the point of where it's not a democracy anymore".
Ukrainian officials, however, insist that holding elections amid missile and drone attacks won't be possible, especially given that the soldiers stationed on the front lines, refugees abroad, and civilians living under occupation won't be able to participate.
