Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country could be ready to hold its first election since Russia’s invasion in 2022 as long as partners can give him security guarantees.
Zelenskyy, whose term was set to end in May 2024, said there are two main issues that have to be addressed before Ukraine can hold elections: security and the legislative framework. Zelenskyy said he has asked lawmakers from his party to work on legislative proposals to allow Ukraine to hold elections while the country remains under martial law, according to The Associated Press.
Because Ukrainian law prohibits elections when martial law is in place, Zelenskyy has declined to call a vote, a stance widely supported by Ukrainians, according to the AP. The country has been under martial law since the war with Russia began in February 2022.
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“Moreover, I am now asking — and I am stating this openly — for the United States, possibly together with our European colleagues, to help me ensure security for holding elections,” Zelenskyy told reporters on WhatsApp, according to reports. “And then, within the next 60–90 days, Ukraine will be ready to hold them.”
Zelenskyy’s change in tune comes after President Donald Trump accused him of using the war as an excuse to not hold elections. The U.S. president, who has called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” in the past, warned that Ukraine was on the verge of not being a democracy anymore.
“They haven’t had an election in a long time,” Trump told Politico. “You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”
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In his interview with Politico, Trump also accused Zelenskyy of not being up-to-date on peace talks, saying he heard the Ukrainian president had not read the White House’s most recent proposal.
The Trump administration has been working to secure a peace deal to end the war that has gone on for nearly four years. Late last month, the administration presented a 28-point plan that Ukrainian and European leaders thought was too deferential to Russia’s demands. Ukrainian officials met with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and whittled the plan down.
“We are working very actively on all components of potential steps toward ending the war,” Zelenskyy posted on X on Tuesday. “The Ukrainian and European components are now more developed, and we are ready to present them to our partners in the U.S. Together with the American side, we expect to swiftly make the potential steps as doable as possible.”
“We are committed to a real peace and remain in constant contact with the United States,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the State Department for comment.
