Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on a Financial Times article claiming that he intends to announce presidential elections and a referendum on the fourth anniversary of the start of the Russian military operation, as reported by Suspilne.
“This is the first time I’m hearing about plans to announce elections on February 24 [2026]. The clarification first came from the Financial Times, now from you. I have spoken many times about elections, and we are ready for them when all necessary security guarantees are provided,” Zelensky stated in a conversation with journalists.
He noted that questions about elections are raised by Ukraine's allies, not by the country itself. “We are ready to vote, but the main barrier is security. Just stop the fire — and elections can take place,” the president added.
“My delegation knows my clear position, and we are ready to work with any proposals from our American partners. If we are talking about a referendum, I have already said that there needs to be an understanding of a ceasefire, as a referendum is essentially similar to elections,” Zelensky commented in response to a question about a possible date for the elections and referendum on May 15.
The Ukrainian leader also emphasized that Washington does not jeopardize security guarantees for Kyiv and does not link them to elections, as also mentioned by the Financial Times.
According to Ukrainian legislation, holding elections, including presidential ones, is prohibited during martial law. Due to military actions, elections for the Verkhovna Rada, scheduled for 2023, and presidential elections, planned for 2024, did not take place.
Amid peace negotiations, former U.S. President Donald Trump raised the issue of the need to hold elections for the president of Ukraine. Zelensky expressed readiness to organize elections within 60-90 days if the U.S. and Europe provide security.
Additionally, the president of Ukraine proposed to introduce a ceasefire regime during the elections. Vladimir Putin, for his part, noted that Russia is “ready to discuss” the possibility of not conducting bombings on election day.
