President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready for Ukraine to hold presidential elections, responding to a request raised by the US.
“The United States of America made a request for presidential elections, and I told them that I would be ready for such elections,” Zelensky told journalists on Thursday morning.
He added that parliamentary or local elections are not being considered at this time.
Commenting on voting options for Ukrainians abroad, Zelensky said he has long supported the introduction of remote or electronic voting.
“I have always supported and raised the issue since the beginning of Covid regarding legislative changes so that people can vote online, but so far we have not found a consensus with parliamentarians,” he said.
According to Zelensky, there have been no developments in parliament regarding changes to Ukraine’s election law.
“As far as I know, there aren’t any yet, but I’ve conveyed all the signals to them,” Zelensky said when asked whether lawmakers were working on amendments to election legislation.
In Ukraine, national elections cannot take place while martial law is in effect, as explicitly stipulated by the constitution. Yet Russia, and later the US, have repeatedly raised the issue to question the government’s legitimacy.
What do Ukrainians think about elections?
A new Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) survey shows that more than half of Ukrainians believe elections should only take place after a final peace agreement is signed and the war with Russia has fully ended.
Just 9% support holding elections before a ceasefire, while 25% favor elections only if hostilities stop and Ukraine receives firm security guarantees. The largest group, 57%, insists that elections should occur only after the war is completely over.
KIIS Executive Director Anton Hrushetsky said there is currently no public demand to hold elections during the war.
“Calls for elections in Ukraine are perceived critically by society and seen as attempts to weaken the country,” he said.
He also noted that public trust in Zelensky remains high.
External calls for elections
US President Donald Trump has recently criticized Ukraine for not holding elections, claiming the country “can’t be considered a democracy” and suggesting Ukrainian authorities are “using war not to hold an election.”
He added: “You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”
Responding to such remarks, Zelensky said that he is not clinging to power.
“I am not holding on to my seat. I believe that Ukraine should be ready for any development of events,” he said.
He said that elections are possible only if two conditions are met: security for voters and soldiers under ongoing missile attacks, and a legal framework that guarantees legitimacy under martial law.
“I am now asking, openly declaring, for the US to help me, possibly together with European colleagues, to ensure security for the elections,” Zelensky said, adding that if partners assist, Ukraine could be ready to proceed within “the next 60 to 90 days.”
He also called on parliamentary leaders to prepare legislation enabling elections during wartime.