The new U.S. presidential administration wants Ukraine to hold elections immediately after active hostilities cease, according to an interview with Reuters by Trump's special representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg.
"Most democratic countries hold elections during wartime. I believe that is important. I think it's good for democracy. That’s the beauty of a strong democracy; you potentially have more than one person," he stated.
As reported by unnamed informed sources to Reuters, Trump's peace plan is still being developed, and no political decisions have yet been made. However, Kellogg and other White House officials have discussed in recent days how to encourage Ukraine to agree to elections as part of an initial ceasefire with Russia.
Two individuals familiar with the discussions within the Trump administration indicated that the White House is also debating whether to insist on an initial ceasefire before attempting to achieve a more sustainable agreement. If presidential elections were to take place in Ukraine, the winner could be responsible for negotiating a long-term pact with Moscow, they say.
A senior "advisor" in Kyiv and a source within the Ukrainian government stated that the Trump administration has not yet officially requested Ukraine to hold presidential elections by the end of the year.
However, according to sources in Washington, Ukrainians have confessed to their American partners that they fear Russian interference in Ukrainian elections if they occur during such an unstable time.
At the same time, a source in the Ukrainian government said that Putin is using the issue of elections in Ukraine as a false pretext to derail future negotiations.
"(He) is setting a trap by claiming that if elections do not take place in Ukraine, he can subsequently ignore any agreements," the source said.
Some former U.S. officials express skepticism about the possibility of reaching a peace agreement in the coming months or that elections will take place in 2025.
The Issue of Elections in Ukraine
As reported by UNIAN, the five-year presidential term of Volodymyr Zelensky will come to an end in the spring of 2024. The current composition of the Verkhovna Rada will conclude its term six months prior. However, the Ukrainian Constitution explicitly excludes the possibility of holding parliamentary elections under martial law. Additionally, presidential elections are also prohibited by law during martial law.
Recently, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who is serving as president of the Russian Federation for the fifth time despite a constitutional two-term limit, questioned the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelensky as the president of Ukraine. In particular, the Kremlin's owner believes that the Ukrainian leader allegedly lacks the authority to sign a peace agreement.