Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is open to the idea of holding presidential elections and is confident of winning, Reuters reports, citing a source.
“Zelensky, whose support has decreased since the beginning of the conflict but remains well above 50%, is confident of winning“, the agency reports.
According to five officials, during the talks in Abu Dhabi, the Ukrainian and American delegations discussed the possibility of holding both the elections and a referendum on a peace agreement at the same time. Two sources specified that the American side proposed that the votes be held in May.
Several informed sources assessed the proposed schedule as unrealistic, the agency writes. One source noted that “the Americans are in too much of a hurry” because preparations would take a significant amount of time.
Ukraine’s presidential election was scheduled for March 2024 but was postponed indefinitely due to martial law in the country. The United States has repeatedly raised the issue of holding elections since President Donald Trump took office. Russia has also made similar demands.
Last December, the Verkhovna Rada began drafting a bill on elections under martial law.