Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly planning to announce presidential elections and a referendum on a possible peace deal to end the war with Russia. The statement is expected on February 24, the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Moscow.
The Financial Times quotes Ukrainian and European officials involved in the planning: reported on Wednesday that both a presidential vote, in which Zelenskyy would be re-elected, and a national referendum could be held by May 15.
The newspaper said Kiev could risk losing proposed US security guarantees if it does not have both votes by that date.
The Financial Times noted that while previous U.S.-imposed deadlines have come and gone, U.S. officials are putting heavier pressure on Ukraine this time as November’s midterm elections loom.
ZELENSKYY IS READY TO PRESENT NEW PEACE PROPOSALS TO THE US AND RUSSIA AFTER WORKING WITH EUROPEAN CONSULTATIONS
A note marks a ballot box for voters with high temperatures at a polling station during the 2020 Ukrainian local elections in Rubizhne, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, on October 25, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Kovalyov Oleksiy/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
It added that the timeline could also be complicated by the wide rift between Moscow and Kiev on key territorial issues, including control of the Donbas region and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, as well as the need for parliament to amend legislation because martial law currently bans wartime national elections.
Zelensky previously emphasized that the timing and format of any elections are solely matters of Ukraine and its citizens, rejecting any suggestion that the Kremlin could dictate the process.
In several lengthy posts on X in December, he argued that two key factors would determine whether voting is possible: security and legislation.
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A woman casts her vote at a mobile polling station during early voting in the Russian presidential election in Donetsk, Russian-occupied Ukraine, on March 14, 2024. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
Zelensky said the vote can only take place on Ukrainian-controlled territory and that the participation of soldiers defending the country must be guaranteed. Elections cannot be held in Russian-occupied territories, he explained, because of concerns about how they would be conducted.
He also suggested that a ceasefire, at least for the duration of an election or referendum, may be necessary to ensure safe conditions, including protected airspace and the presence of international observers.
The Trump administration’s reported deadline comes after The Associated Press reported that Washington is aiming for the war to end in June.
Ukrainian soldiers vote at a polling station during the parliamentary elections in Velyki Mosty, Lviv Oblast, on July 21, 2019. (Mykola Tys/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Trilateral talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine took place in Abu Dhabi in early February, where the sides met twice but achieved only a limited breakthrough: They agreed to a 314-person prisoner exchange, the first such swap in five months.
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US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington and Moscow agreed to restore military-to-military dialogue, calling the canal “critical to achieving and maintaining peace.”
He said the trilateral talks will continue in the coming weeks after the delegations report to their respective capitals.
