Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly stated that his country is "ready for elections," provided that international partners can furnish the necessary security guarantees for the voting process. This declaration follows repeated assertions from prominent global figures, notably President Donald Trump, who has suggested that Kyiv is leveraging the ongoing conflict as a pretext to avoid holding a national ballot.
Zelensky's constitutionally mandated five-year term was initially slated to conclude in May 2024. However, the comprehensive suspension of elections has been in effect since the declaration of martial law across Ukraine, implemented following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
In remarks delivered to journalists shortly after the publication of Trump's comments in a broad-ranging Politico interview, President Zelensky indicated his intention to seek the development of formal proposals that would facilitate the necessary legal amendments for an election. He explicitly noted that elections could feasibly take place within a timeframe of 60 to 90 days if robust security arrangements for the vote could be secured, ideally with substantive assistance from the United States and other allied nations.
"I am asking now, and I am stating this openly, for the US to help me, perhaps together with our European colleagues, to ensure security for the elections," Zelensky was quoted as saying to reporters. He carefully nuanced this appeal by emphasizing that the ultimate decision rests with the Ukrainian populace: "The issue of elections in Ukraine, I believe, depends first and foremost on our people, and this is a question for the people of Ukraine, not the people of other countries. With all due respect to our partners."
The President also addressed the insinuations regarding his motives for the delay: "I've heard hints that we're clinging to power, or that I personally am clinging to the presidency" and "that's why the war isn't ending," dismissing this line of reasoning as "frankly, a completely unreasonable narrative." Zelensky was originally elected in 2019, securing a decisive victory with over 73% of the total vote.
⚖️ The Controversy and International Dialogue
The conversation surrounding the feasibility and timing of Ukrainian elections has been a recurring and often contentious topic since the 2022 invasion. Russia has consistently attempted to delegitimize Zelensky's leadership, demanding new elections as a prerequisite for any potential ceasefire agreement. This particular talking point has been amplified and reiterated by figures like Trump, who told Politico: "They talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it's not a democracy anymore."
The logistical and security challenges inherent in conducting a nationwide ballot during active warfare are considerable. Key obstacles include:
Frontline Participation: Soldiers actively engaged in combat may be unable to cast their votes, or doing so would require large-scale, disruptive troop rotations or leave.
Refugee and IDP Vote: The United Nations estimates that approximately 5.7 million Ukrainians currently reside abroad as refugees due to the conflict, posing significant challenges for absentee or overseas voting.
Security for Polling Stations: Any ballot would necessitate complex and expensive security protocols to protect voters and infrastructure from ongoing missile strikes and military operations.
🗣️ Domestic Opposition and Consensus
Within Ukraine, the prospect of a wartime election has met with skepticism and outright opposition from various political quarters.
Lesia Vasylenko, an opposition MP from the Golos party, told the BBC that for an election to be deemed fair, it would require the participation of all Ukrainians, including those fighting on the front lines. Furthermore, she stressed that "elections are never possible in wartime," citing historical precedents, such as the suspension of elections in the UK during World War Two.
Oleksiy Goncharenko, an opposition MP from the European Solidarity party, expressed strong disapproval of the idea: "I am completely against the idea, I can't even understand why Zelensky would say it... It is completely impossible." Goncharenko speculated that Zelensky might perceive this as an "opportunity to hold quasi-elections that will be favourable to him, while he controls the media and his opponents are likely not ready."
Conversely, Oleksandr Merezhko, the chairman of the foreign policy committee in Ukraine's parliament and a member of Zelensky's Servant of the People party, noted that there is currently little domestic political pressure on the President to call elections while the conflict is raging. He highlighted a "strong consensus" among political actors and civil society organizations that elections cannot and should not be held while martial law is in force. Merezhko warned that the idea of a divisive wartime election campaign is "exactly what Putin would want," arguing that the Russian leader, "Having failed to destroy us from outside, Putin wants to destroy us from within, using elections as another tool to do so."
📊 Public Opinion and Expert Analysis
Public opinion data suggests a significant lack of widespread support for an immediate election. Anton Grushetsky, director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), reported that data gathered recently indicates that only about 10% of the population supports the notion of going to the polls before a full ceasefire or a definitive peace agreement is reached. A broader KIIS poll from September revealed that approximately 63% of people opposed holding elections even after a ceasefire with security guarantees, believing the ballot should only take place following a complete settlement.
Ukrainian citizens have also voiced their concerns. Yulia Tovkach, a business owner near Kyiv, emphasized that it is vital for Ukraine to first end martial law before any election, believing that otherwise, the country "will be accused of not having a legitimate, proper election." Yana Kolomiets, a casting director in Odesa, found the very idea of holding an election "foolish," despite any potential dissatisfaction with the current leadership, stating, "It would complicate things a lot and would not be in Ukraine's favour."
Hanna Shelest, a foreign policy analyst with Ukrainian Prism, noted that President Zelensky has historically been open to elections "as soon as the conditions allow." However, she pointed out the acute practical dilemma of creating the outlined conditions, given the status of soldiers and refugees, unsecured territories, and the continuous threat of strikes. "You cannot guarantee the security of the polling stations," Shelest concluded.
Compounding the internal debate, President Zelensky is also facing diplomatic pressure to pursue a peace deal to conclude the conflict. Trump has publicly urged Zelensky to "play ball," suggesting the possibility of ceding territory to Moscow. The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitry Peskov, acknowledged that Trump's "very important" statements on Ukraine—including the prediction that Moscow would ultimately prevail and that Kyiv would need to surrender land—"align with Russia's view" on key subjects such as NATO membership and territorial disputes.
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