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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has not yet decided whether he will run in future elections and stressed they can only be held after the war with Russia ends. He added that Moscow is interested in pushing for a rapid vote because it wants him removed from office.
In an interview with Agence France-Presse, Zelenskyy said, “Let’s be honest — the Russians simply want to replace me. Nobody wants elections during a war. Everyone fears their destructive impact.” He emphasized that security is the key precondition for organizing any vote, as Russian forces continue shelling Ukrainian cities and villages.
According to Reuters, during talks in Abu Dhabi U.S. and Ukrainian delegations discussed the possibility of reaching a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia as early as March, as well as holding nationwide elections and a referendum in May.
Zelenskyy later said any ceasefire would require monitoring involving the United States, noting that “the Russians have one wording, we have another, and the Americans a third.” He added that monitoring of a truce with U.S. participation is expected, though no political decision has yet been made. In an interview with The Atlantic, he said he would be ready to hold presidential elections and a referendum on a peace deal if a ceasefire is achieved and Ukraine receives security guarantees.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in December he might consider halting strikes deep inside Ukraine on voting day if elections were held, adding that “5–10 million Ukrainians living in Russia should also vote.”
In February, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin claimed Russia would be ready to “ensure the absence of strikes on election day.” U.S. political figures, including Donald Trump and members of his negotiating circle, have also expressed interest in seeing presidential elections take place in Ukraine. Putin has repeatedly said he does not want to deal with what he calls an “illegitimate” Ukrainian leadership. Analysts suggest that even if elections are not a priority for Zelenskyy, the timing could be advantageous, allowing him to frame them as part of a broader negotiation framework.
