Zelenskyy Reconsiders Election Plans Following Trump’s Criticism

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced his country could be prepared to hold its first elections since Russia’s 2022 invasion, provided international partners can offer security guarantees. This significant shift comes amid growing pressure from the Trump administration regarding Ukraine’s democratic processes.

“I am now asking — and I am stating this openly — for the United States, possibly together with our European colleagues, to help me ensure security for holding elections,” Zelenskyy told reporters via WhatsApp. “And then, within the next 60–90 days, Ukraine will be ready to hold them.”

Zelenskyy, whose presidential term was scheduled to end in May 2024, identified two critical issues that must be addressed before elections can take place: security concerns and the legislative framework. The Ukrainian president has directed lawmakers from his party to develop legislative proposals that would enable elections while the country remains under martial law.

Ukrainian law currently prohibits elections during martial law, which has been in effect since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. Until now, Zelenskyy has declined to call for a vote, a position that has received widespread support among Ukrainians, according to reports from The Associated Press.

The timing of Zelenskyy’s announcement appears directly connected to criticisms from President Donald Trump, who has publicly accused the Ukrainian leader of using the war as a pretext to avoid elections. Trump recently referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections” and warned that Ukraine was verging on losing its democratic status.

“They haven’t had an election in a long time,” Trump told Politico. “You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”

The electoral issue emerges against the backdrop of intensified peace negotiations. The Trump administration has been working to broker an end to the nearly four-year conflict, presenting a 28-point plan last month that Ukrainian and European leaders reportedly found overly favorable to Russia’s demands. Ukrainian officials subsequently collaborated with White House envoy Steve Witkoff to revise the proposal.

Trump has also criticized Zelenskyy for allegedly being uninformed about recent peace proposals, claiming the Ukrainian president had not read the White House’s latest plan. This accusation comes at a delicate moment in U.S.-Ukraine relations, as the Biden administration transitions to Trump’s leadership with different approaches to the conflict.

In response to these developments, Zelenskyy posted on social media Tuesday: “We are working very actively on all components of potential steps toward ending the war. The Ukrainian and European components are now more developed, and we are ready to present them to our partners in the U.S. Together with the American side, we expect to swiftly make the potential steps as doable as possible.”

The possibility of elections in Ukraine represents a significant potential turning point, both for the country’s domestic politics and for international perceptions of its democratic legitimacy. Elections conducted during wartime would present unprecedented logistical and security challenges, particularly with substantial portions of Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation or subject to regular military strikes.

For Ukraine, elections could strengthen its international standing and reinforce its democratic credentials at a critical juncture in the conflict. For the United States and its European allies, providing security guarantees for Ukrainian elections would represent a substantial commitment amid ongoing debates about the nature and extent of Western support.

As peace negotiations continue and electoral preparations potentially move forward, Ukraine faces the dual challenge of defending its territorial integrity while maintaining its democratic institutions under extraordinary circumstances.