President Volodymyr Zelensky said that holding elections before the war ends would pose significant risks to the country and could lead to serious divisions within Ukrainian society.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine has repeatedly heard calls from its partners to hold elections while the fighting is still ongoing. He said he is prepared to consider such a scenario, but only if conditions can be created for safe, legitimate and democratic elections.
This would include ensuring that military personnel, Ukrainians living in frontline areas, and millions of citizens who are currently abroad because of the war are able to vote.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s partners have so far not proposed a concrete mechanism that would guarantee the security of the electoral process. Another key condition would be a ceasefire, which Russia has yet to agree to.
“I believe that during a war of this scale, elections in general carry major risks. Elections right now would be a tsunami for the country that would divide Ukraine,” the president said.
According to Zelensky, his current priority is to lead the country through to the end of the war while preserving Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty.
“So my strategy is to lead the country through to the end of the war and preserve an independent and sovereign state. And that is the strategy I am pursuing,” he added.
