Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with the German TV channel ZDF that holding elections in the country could be possible as early as this winter, provided that a key condition is met: a ceasefire, which he says must be achieved by the US in negotiations with Russia. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a transcript of the conversation. Thus, the head of state has effectively tied the timing of the vote to a foreign policy scenario put forward by Washington.
A Proposal Addressed to Washington
Responding to a journalist's question about whether the complexity of organizing the vote (with some citizens abroad and others at the front) means that elections will only happen after the war ends, Zelenskyy confirmed that the Ukrainian side views the situation exactly that way. However, he emphasized that Kyiv has put forward alternative proposals to Washington. "Yes, that is exactly how we see it. But we have put forward proposals. I told the Americans that you could make a deal with the Russians to cease fire for the winter period, and then people would have electricity and water. And at the same time, we would be able to hold elections," the president stated. Thus, a winter truce, in his logic, should simultaneously provide civilian conditions for voting and remove some logistical barriers.
Who Cannot Vote: Soldiers and Refugees
In the same interview, Zelenskyy explained why holding elections under current conditions is difficult: a significant portion of citizens cannot physically participate in the vote. Primarily, this concerns military personnel who are in the trenches. The president emphasized that it is the soldiers who should be the first to elect the head of state, as they have preserved and continue to preserve the country's independence. In this regard, he stated that holding elections without their participation would be unfair. This argument essentially shifts the issue of election timing from a purely organizational domain to one of electoral legitimacy.
Online Format and Legislative Framework
Despite the difficulties described, Zelenskyy reported that the authorities are ready to consider holding elections in an online format. However, he noted that in that case, the Verkhovna Rada would have to find and establish an appropriate legal solution. Earlier in August, parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk stated that the Verkhovna Rada was working on a law that would allow elections in Ukraine during wartime, though no specific dates for them were named at that time. Thus, the president's statement in the ZDF interview supplements the work already underway in parliament on the regulatory framework and adds an external condition to it — a winter ceasefire secured by the US.
