Holding an election during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine would be a disaster for Kiev for a number of reasons, ranging from popular disapproval to running the risk of losing its army, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky claimed this week.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Ukraine conflict, Keith Kellogg, said Washington would like to see Kiev hold presidential and parliamentary votes before the end of the year. Elections have been suspended indefinitely by Zelensky, due to martial law.
Elections in Ukraine at this time would only benefit Russia, the Ukrainian leader claimed in an interview with ITV News. “The topic of elections has been brought up by Russians,” he said.
Moscow has called Zelensky’s legitimacy into question since his presidential term officially expired in May 2024. In late January, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Ukrainian leader cannot sign international treaties as they could be declared null and void afterward due to his current status.
Putin noted at the time that the Ukrainian constitution does not envisage extensions of the president’s term, only authorizing this for the parliament, which he called a legitimate governing body in Ukraine. Moscow has not explicitly demanded that Kiev hold elections.
In his interview, Zelensky maintained that Russia only wants to see elections in Ukraine to bring about “destabilization.” He also claimed that the people do not want to have an election, and that he is “absolutely not afraid of them.”
“During this war, our population is against elections, all people are against it.”
According to Zelensky, having an election would require martial law to be lifted. “If we suspend martial law we will lose our army,” he said, explaining that Kiev would not be able to keep the troops on the front lines otherwise.
“People will come back home and will have every right to return home,” he said, adding that those who do not would still lose their “combat capability and morale.” Ukraine launched a massive mobilization campaign after imposing martial law, following the start of Russia’s military operation in February 2022.
Kiev has faced criticism over its heavy-handed approach toward mobilization. Numerous videos have appeared on social media showing Ukrainian conscription officers chasing potential recruits in the streets and subjecting them to abuse.
The mobilization campaign was also marred by widespread draft dodging, corruption, and desertion. Last year, the elite 155th Mechanized Brigade made headlines after around 1,700 members reportedly fled the unit without firing a single shot.
According to Zelensky, having an election with the troops still in the trenches is “not fair.” He also described it as nearly impossible “logistically,” with around 8 million Ukrainians now living abroad. Earlier in the interview, he called on Kiev’s Western backers to first provide Ukraine with security guarantees and economic aid sufficient to convince people who have fled the country to return.