Ukraine’s working group on preparing elections during a special or post-war period met for the second time on Thursday, Jan. 8, with the Central Election Commission (CEC) having prepared its proposals in advance.
The issue of holding elections in Ukraine is included among the 20 points of a peace plan developed between Washington and Kyiv.
Earlier, Ukraine’s parliament approved the creation of a cross-party working group tasked with drafting a one-off law regulating elections under martial law, amid growing domestic and international debate over how democratic processes can be preserved during Russia’s war.
Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said the group’s goal is to develop a framework for holding what he described as “safe, democratic elections trusted by the entire world,” despite ongoing security risks.
The working group is chaired by First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Korniienko and includes representatives of all parliamentary factions and groups, civil society organizations, and the Central Election Commission.
Stefanchuk said the legislation would be used only once and tailored specifically to wartime conditions.
On Wednesday, Jan. 7, the CEC approved a set of proposals on organizing and holding nationwide elections after the end or lifting of martial law.
These proposals will be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Organization of Power, Local Self-Government, and Regional Development, as well as to the parliamentary working group preparing draft election legislation.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the CEC has been analyzing potential risks and challenges associated with post-war elections and exploring ways to address them. The Commission prepared its first package of legislative proposals in September 2022.
Work is currently underway in three specialized groups focusing on updating voter data for post-war elections, organizing voting for Ukrainians abroad, and drafting a roadmap for preparing and conducting elections once the war ends.
Based on this work, the CEC has developed legislative proposals that take into account the specific risks of upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, which were postponed due to martial law.
The Commission stressed that its proposals are not the only possible solutions.
“On the contrary, we want them to become a stimulus for broad discussion on how to ensure citizens’ electoral rights in post-war conditions and protect Ukrainian democratic elections from interference by the aggressor state,” the CEC said.
The Commission said it will continue updating the proposals and facilitating discussions in parliament and within the working group.
Thursday’s meeting focused on the procedures for organizing elections in a special period and after the war, as well as on forming subgroups to work on the draft law.
The working group first met on Dec. 26, 2025, and said it would convene as needed, but at least once every two weeks.
David Arakhamia, head of the ruling Servant of the People faction, said late February is the “desired internal deadline” for preparing a draft wartime election law.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said during an online briefing on Jan. 7 that the timeline depends on negotiations and agreed decisions, adding that work on amendments to election legislation could continue until February.
Stefanchuk said that once wartime elections are completed, Ukraine would return to its standard constitutional framework and existing Electoral Code.
The move follows renewed criticism from US President Donald Trump, who recently claimed Ukraine could no longer be considered a democracy because elections had not been held.
Asked by Politico whether Ukraine should vote, Trump said: “Yeah, I think so. It’s been a long time… I think it’s an important time to hold an election.”
He alleged Ukrainian authorities were “using war not to hold an election,” adding that “the Ukrainian people… should have that choice,” while noting that “maybe Zelensky would win. I don’t know.”
Responding to the issue, Zelensky rejected claims he was postponing elections in order to stay in power.
“I am not holding on to my seat. I believe that Ukraine should be ready for any development of events,” he said.
Zelensky added that he had asked international partners to help provide security if elections were held and said lawmakers should prepare mechanisms for a possible vote should conditions allow.