EU foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas has rejected US President Donald Trump's call for Ukraine to elect a new leader and said international pressure should be directed at Russia to end the war.
“Almost every constitution stipulates that when there is a war, elections cannot be held“, Kallas said before the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg. She added that elections inevitably turn into a struggle between different domestic political groups while the country is under external attack.
“If pressure is put on Russia to end this war, I am convinced that elections will be held in Ukraine“, the EU High Representative said. According to her, the priority of international partners should be to stop Russian aggression, not political competition in a country that continues to wage war.
Trump demands new president of Ukraine
On Saturday, Trump said that Zelensky had many opportunities to reach an agreement with Russia, but did not take advantage of them. “I suggest that they elect a new leader who can make a deal“, said the American president, then added that it is time for Ukraine to have a new president.
The statement came after a dispute between Washington and Kiev over an agreement between Trump and Moscow on Russian diesel and over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. Trump demanded that Zelensky stop these attacks, while the Ukrainian president described the deal with Russia as unfair and dishonest.
Elections remain linked to the ceasefire
Zelensky's term expired on May 20, 2024. Presidential elections were not held due to the introduction of martial law and general mobilization. The Ukrainian constitution itself does not contain an explicit ban on presidential elections during wartime, but the Ukrainian authorities refer to the current martial law and legal restrictions.
Zelensky said that Kiev was ready to organize elections under a complete ceasefire that would last at least 60 days. Kallas also linked the elections to the cessation of hostilities, but expressed doubts that Russia would respect the announced energy truce. "We have not yet seen that Russia will comply," she said.
Kallas said preserving national unity was crucial as the attacks continued. She called on the United States to join European pressure and sanctions against Russia, saying that ending the war would eliminate the need for strikes on energy infrastructure.
Sources: news.bg, apnews.com, axios.com