President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the United States had asked about the possibility of holding presidential elections in Ukraine. He stressed that he was ready for such a scenario, but elections to the Verkhovna Rada and local councils were not discussed at this time. The head of state said this on December 18, answering journalists’ questions.
According to the president, the partners were interested exclusively in electing the head of state, without talking about a complete reset of power.
“The US made a request for presidential elections, and I told them that I would be ready for such elections. We did not consider the elections to the Rada and local elections,” Zelensky noted.
He also reported that the parliament has not yet prepared a legislative framework for organizing voting in wartime, although the president has sent relevant signals to the deputies. Earlier, the newly elected head of the Servant of the People party, Oleksandr Kornienko, stated that the Verkhovna Rada currently does not have any developments or draft laws on holding elections during martial law.
Separately, Zelensky commented on the idea of online voting, in particular for Ukrainians abroad. He recalled that he has supported such a model since the COVID-19 pandemic, but there is still no agreement in parliament on the relevant changes.
“I have always supported and raised the issue, since the beginning of Covid, of legislative changes so that people can vote online. So far, we have not found a consensus with parliamentarians,” the president said.
The topic of possible elections gained additional attention after the statement of US President Donald Trump, who expressed doubts about the lack of electoral processes during the war. The European Union responded by emphasizing Zelensky’s legitimacy and noting that elections should only be held when the security situation allows.
Zelensky himself emphasized that security is a key prerequisite for the elections, and appealed to the United States and European partners to help create the appropriate conditions. According to him, after that, Ukraine will be able to prepare for the vote within 60-90 days. He also repeatedly emphasized that elections without the participation of the military, residents of temporarily occupied territories, and citizens abroad cannot be considered fair.
As of December, only about 75% of polling stations in Ukraine are fully operational, the rest have been damaged or destroyed as a result of hostilities.
