Ukraine will only hold elections after ceasefire, Zelensky says
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, commenting on the Financial Times' report, said Feb 24 for an election - the date of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 - would be "an utterly stupid idea".
PHOTO: AFP
- President Zelensky states Ukraine needs security guarantees and a ceasefire with Russia before holding elections, rejecting US pressure for early ballots.
- Ukraine's elections are suspended under martial law due to the 2022 invasion; practical obstacles include security and millions of refugees.
- Ukraine agreed to US-proposed peace talks for next week, but President Zelensky indicated Russia is currently "hesitating" to respond.
AI generated
KYIV - Ukraine will only hold elections once it has security guarantees in place and a ceasefire with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Feb 11, pushing back at suggestions he was planning to stage fresh ballots under US pressure.
Elections in Ukraine have been effectively suspended since Russia invaded in 2022, due to martial law.
“We will move to elections when all the necessary security guarantees are in place,” Mr Zelensky told reporters, including AFP journalists, in a voice note.
“I have said it’s very simple to do: establish a ceasefire, and there will be elections,” he added.
If Russia also agrees, it may be possible to “end hostilities by summer”, Mr Zelensky said.
The Financial Times reported
The report also suggested the election announcement could be made as early as Feb 24, the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion.
Mr Zelensky later said in an X post that this would be “an utterly stupid idea to use such a date to talk about politics”.
He also wrote that Washington proposed holding another round of talks on ending the war next week, to which Ukraine agreed. But, according to Mr Zelensky, “Russia is hesitating” and has not yet responded to the offer.
Mr Zelensky has repeatedly said Ukraine can hold elections after a peace deal with Russia is signed, but has recently signalled willingness for a speedy vote as part of a US plan to end the war.
He has also said any deal that involves ceding territory to Moscow should be put to a referendum.
Mr Zelensky, a former comedian who played a fictionalised president on Ukrainian TV before running for office, was elected in 2019 for a five-year term.
Russia has repeatedly tried to question Mr Zelensky’s legitimacy post-2024, when that term would have expired.
There are a number of practical obstacles to holding a ballot, such as security during any campaign and vote, and what to do with the millions of Ukrainian refugees forced abroad.
Polling shows little appetite among the Ukrainian public for a ballot during the war. AFP
