Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova said in an interview with the Suspilne project that Ukraine has not yet discussed with the United States the need to hold elections before the end of 2025, but Kiev is ready to discuss the issue if it is raised, the BBC writes.
"When this issue was discussed theoretically in 2023-24, our position was that for this to happen, it was necessary to stop hostilities. "We will not be able to provide full access to voting and nominations during a war," the diplomat said.
Markarova also added that the Ukrainian embassy in the United States is working on a series of meetings between Zelensky's and Trump's teams, and this is taking "some time."
On February 1, President Trump's special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine war, General Keith Kellogg, said that the United States wants elections to be held in Ukraine, especially if an agreement on a "ceasefire" is reached.
"In most democratic countries, elections are held even during wartime. I think this is very important. I think it is good for democracy. "That's the beauty of a strong democracy, when there's more than one person who can potentially run," Kellogg said.
In early January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that holding elections in Ukraine would be possible only after the war ends or after changes in legislation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously said that Ukraine could hold elections this year if the fighting stops and reliable security guarantees are put in place to deter Russia from renewing its aggression.
"Everyone in Ukraine understands that these elections cannot be held until the war ends or until the legislation changes. I believe that elections will be held immediately after the end of martial law. This is according to the law. Or parliamentarians should get together and change the legislation, which will be very difficult to do because the public is against it," Zelensky said in an interview with American podcaster Lex Friedman.
According to Reuters, Washington has already raised the issue of holding elections in 2023 and 2024 with Ukrainian officials.
As early as May 2023, PACE President Tinie Cox said that Ukraine should hold free and fair elections, even if they are not ideal, under martial law. At the end of August of the same year, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, during a visit to Kiev, said that elections in Ukraine should be held next year.
In August 2023 Zelensky said that elections could be held in Ukraine during the war if its allies shared the costs, if lawmakers approved and if everyone was able to participate.
"I gave Lindsay a very simple answer very quickly," he said. Zelensky explained that holding elections in peacetime cost 5 billion hryvnia ($135 million). "I don't know how much it will cost during a war," he said, explaining that he had suggested to the US senator that the US and Europe provide financial support for the elections.
Later on Tuesday, Zelensky confirmed that members of his administration were still in contact with their colleagues from the administration of US President Donald Trump.
"We have contacts between our teams," Zelensky was quoted as saying by the Telegram channel of RBC-Ukraine.
According to him, the head of the administration Andriy Yermak had spoken with Trump's national security adviser Mike Walz.
"My team contacted Kellogg yesterday," Zelensky added.