Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday he is prepared to hold elections within 60 to 90 days, contingent on Western allies providing security guarantees, responding to criticism from US President Donald Trump, who questioned whether Ukraine remains a democracy.
“Look, I am ready for the elections, and not only that,” Zelensky told reporters Tuesday. He added that with security assistance from the United States and possibly European allies, “in the next 60 to 90 days, Ukraine will be ready to hold elections.”
The statement represents a significant shift in Zelensky’s position, who has long maintained that elections cannot be held while Ukraine remains under martial law, which has been in effect since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Trump told Politico in an interview that Ukraine should hold elections, saying the country is “using war not to hold an election.” Trump questioned whether Ukraine is “a democracy anymore,” adding that “they haven’t had an election in a long time.”
Zelensky said he has asked members of his parliamentary faction “to prepare legislative proposals on the possibility of changing the legislative framework and the law on elections during martial law.” Under current Ukrainian law, presidential, parliamentary, and local elections are banned while the country is under martial law.
The Ukrainian president’s main concern centers on logistics and security. “How can this be done under attack, under rocket fire?” Zelensky said, emphasizing that Western security guarantees would be essential for conducting elections safely.
Zelensky was elected in 2019 in what international observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe declared were competitive and free elections, winning 73% of the vote. His five-year term would have expired in May 2024 if martial law had not been imposed.
The election issue has become entangled with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing claims that Zelensky lacks legitimacy to sign any peace agreements. In January and February 2025, Putin repeatedly stated that “due to his illegitimacy, [Zelensky] has no right to sign anything,” arguing that negotiations would be “illegitimate” without proper elections.
Read: Putin Claims It’s ‘Legally Impossible’ to Sign Ukraine Peace Deal
Putin has claimed that because Zelensky’s term technically expired, the Ukrainian president cannot legally revoke a September 2022 decree that banned negotiations with Russia following Moscow’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. The Russian president has suggested that only Ukraine’s parliament speaker, as acting president, would have the authority to lift such bans.
However, under Ukrainian law, Article 108 of the constitution stipulates that a president “exercises his or her powers until the assumption of office by the newly-elected President,” allowing Zelensky to legitimately remain in office until a successor is sworn in. Ukraine’s constitution also explicitly prohibits elections during martial law.
Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War assessed in January that “Putin’s statements rejecting the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government and of a possible future peace agreement set conditions for Russia to justify violating any future agreement with Ukraine.”
Russia held its own presidential election in March 2024, which international observers criticized as having unprecedented levels of fraud and irregularity. Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 20 years, won what was widely viewed as a predetermined outcome.
The Trump administration is intensifying pressure on both Ukraine and European allies to accept the terms of a proposed peace plan. Trump told Politico that Zelensky “hasn’t yet read the proposal,” though the Ukrainian president responded that he has reviewed multiple versions and that his team continues making changes.
Three documents are currently under discussion between Ukraine, the United States, and European partners, according to Zelensky: a 20-point framework for peace, security guarantees between Ukraine and Western allies, and a recovery plan for Ukraine.
Related: Did Europe Threaten to Dump US Treasury Bonds Over Ukraine Deal?
Trump has also criticized Europe’s role in the conflict, telling Politico that “Europe is not doing a good job in many ways. They talk, but they don’t produce. And the war just keeps going on and on.”
Russia continues to control approximately 18% of Ukrainian territory, and nearly 14 million Ukrainians have either fled abroad or been internally displaced since the full-scale invasion began. Any election would face significant logistical challenges, including ensuring voting access for displaced citizens and securing polling stations in areas under frequent attack.
Multiple countries, including the United Kingdom during World War II, have postponed elections during wartime. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized in February 2025 that it is “perfectly reasonable to suspend elections during wartime,” calling Zelensky Ukraine’s “democratically elected leader.”
According to polling by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology published in February, approximately 57% of Ukrainians trust Zelensky as president, marking an increase from 52% in December 2024.
Information for this story was found via the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
