The Kremlin said it has not yet discussed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks on potential wartime elections with Washington, after the Ukrainian leader signaled readiness to hold a vote within three months if the United States and European partners provide security guarantees.
According to The Moscow Times, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that Moscow had “not discussed it with anyone yet,” noting Zelensky’s comments were “quite recent.” Presidential elections are currently suspended in Ukraine under martial law.
Peskov underscored that the Kremlin has long insisted Ukraine hold new elections, arguing Zelensky’s term has formally expired.
“It’s something [US] President [Donald] Trump has mentioned recently, so we’ll see how events unfold,” he said.
He added that Trump’s broader statements on Ukraine “in many ways” align with Russia’s position, including on NATO, territory, and battlefield losses. The convergence has grown more visible in recent days: in an interview with Politico on Monday, Trump again criticized Zelensky and recounted what he claimed was the Ukrainian president’s opening stance toward Moscow.
“When Zelensky first went in and first met Putin, he said I want two things. I want Crimea back and we’re gonna be a member of NATO,” Trump said, adding, “He didn’t say it in a very nice way either.”
Zelensky opens door to election if security is guaranteed
Zelensky said Tuesday evening he would be prepared to organize elections within three months, but only if the US – “possibly together with European colleagues” — could guarantee security amid ongoing Russian drone and missile strikes.
“I am now asking, I declare this openly, for the United States of America to help me, possibly together with European colleagues, to ensure security for holding elections,” he said.
The president said he has asked Ukrainian lawmakers to draft proposals on amending election law during wartime. Kyiv has previously maintained that elections should take place only after the end of hostilities.
Zelensky made the remarks after Trump accused Ukraine of “using war not to hold an election … [Ukrainians] haven’t had an election in a long time. You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore,” Trump said, delivering one of his trademark forceful critiques.
US-drafted proposal fuels political pressure
Trump has pressed Kyiv to accept a US-drafted peace proposal that has drawn criticism from European partners as overly accommodating to Moscow. Ukrainian officials insist that security guarantees and territorial integrity must remain non-negotiable in any future settlement.
In recent weeks, negotiations have moved between Florida, Geneva, and Moscow, involving a shifting cast of envoys and advisers. Leaked EU calls, Trump’s public remarks, and the newly published National Security Strategy of the US have fueled the sense that Washington is seeking a faster settlement, one that risks aligning more closely with Kremlin demands than with long-term European security interests.