Zelenskyy: Ukraine ready to hold elections if Russia accepts 60-day ceasefire
Zelenskyy told ABC that a complete, two-month ceasefire agreed by Vladimir Putin would make presidential elections possible, but legal and practical hurdles remain.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to hold presidential elections if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to a full, 60-day ceasefire. In an interview with American television network ABC, broadcast on Sunday, Zelenskyy made the offer as a condition for organising a vote.
"Give us two months, 60 days of full ceasefire and we will organize elections," Zelenskyy told ABC, adding that Ukraine would accept whatever decision its citizens make at the ballot box.
Practical and legal obstacles
Zelenskyy’s statement came after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to find a new president, criticizing Zelenskyy for insufficient progress toward ending the war. Zelenskyy also condemned a U.S. agreement to import Russian diesel, arguing that it provides Moscow with financial resources that can be used to continue the conflict.
Holding elections in Ukraine faces significant legal hurdles: martial law has been in force since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, and the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits elections while martial law is in effect.
Beyond the constitutional restriction, practical problems remain — ongoing Russian attacks, territory under occupation, millions of displaced Ukrainians and many voters and commanders still serving at the front make organising a nationwide, free and fair vote extremely complicated.
Formally, Zelenskyy’s term expired in May 2024, but under the Ukrainian Constitution he remains in office until the inauguration of a new president. He appealed for continued American support and for unity between the United States and European allies as Kyiv considers any future electoral steps.
Photo: press material from the event
