Zelensky: Ready to Hold Elections 'Even Tomorrow' but War Makes It Impossible

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with CBS, declared that he is personally prepared to hold presidential elections as early as tomorrow — but stressed that conducting a vote while the country is at war is legally and practically impossible.

Why Elections Cannot Be Held Now

Zelensky cited several key obstacles: Ukrainian legislation explicitly prohibits elections during martial law; organising voting for the millions of Ukrainians displaced abroad or living under Russian occupation poses insurmountable logistical challenges; and security considerations make it impossible to safely run a national vote while active combat continues across the front lines.

“I am ready to hold them even tomorrow, but if the war is ongoing, it cannot be done. According to our Constitution and legislation, elections cannot take place during martial law,” the president said.

Political Context

The question of elections in Ukraine has become a recurring point of criticism from some Western quarters. Zelensky and the Ukrainian government consistently argue that holding elections under wartime conditions would be both legally impermissible and dangerous, as it would require suspending martial law, leaving parts of the country vulnerable.