Ukraine’s Office of the President on Wednesday rejected a Financial Times report that President Volodymyr Zelensky intends to announce plans for presidential elections and a referendum on Feb. 24, saying security conditions remain the determining factor.
“As long as there is no security, there will be no announcements,” a source in the president’s circle told RBC-Ukraine in response to the report.
The Financial Times, citing unnamed “Ukrainian and European officials involved in the planning as well as others briefed on the matter,” reported that Zelensky plans to announce preparations for presidential elections alongside a referendum on a potential peace agreement with Russia as early as Feb. 24 – on the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Reuters reported last week that under a framework discussed by US and Ukrainian negotiators, any eventual peace agreement could be put to a nationwide referendum.
The news agency said officials had discussed the possibility of holding the referendum simultaneously with national elections, potentially in May.
Discussions over election procedures have intensified amid diplomatic talks between Kyiv and Washington, where the issue of elections is reportedly included among points of a broader peace framework.
Ukraine is currently under martial law due to Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. Ukrainian law prohibits holding national elections during martial law.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that any decision on elections would depend on improved security conditions, as Russian missile and drone attacks continue across the country and parts of Ukraine remain occupied.
Parliament, election commission prepare wartime voting framework
At the same time, Ukrainian authorities are continuing technical preparations for potential elections in a special or post-war period.
The cross-party group is drafting a one-time law that would regulate elections under martial law or immediately after it is lifted.
The working group, chaired by First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Korniyenko, includes representatives of all parliamentary factions, civil society and the Central Election Commission (CEC).
The CEC has also approved a set of proposals outlining how nationwide elections could be organized after martial law ends.
The commission said its recommendations are intended to spark broader discussion on protecting electoral rights and shielding postwar elections from potential interference.