Donald Trump's special representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has said that Ukraine should hold presidential and parliamentary elections, possibly by the end of 2025. He noted that such elections are important for democracy, especially if a ceasefire is signed. At the same time, official Kyiv emphasizes that a ceasefire and elections do not guarantee a cessation of Russian aggression.
The position of the United States
In particular, in an interview with Reuters Donald Trump's Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, emphasized that elections should take place because "most democratic countries hold elections during wartime."
"I think it's very important. It's good for democracy. That's the beauty of a strong democracy, that you have more than one person who can potentially run," Kellogg said.
According to Reuters, the issue of elections in Ukraine is one of the key issues in the discussion of the Trump administration's future plans to end the war. In particular, they are talking about possible pressure on Kyiv to agree to elections as part of a truce with Russia. The Trump administration is also insisting on a "ceasefire" before the talks.
However, according to the agency, the Trump administration has not yet officially asked Ukraine to hold elections by the end of 2025.
Kyiv Responds to the US Demand
"President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine could hold elections this year if the fighting ends and strong security guarantees are in place to deter Russia from resuming hostilities," write Reuters.
At the same time, the president's office stressedto Kellogg's statement by emphasizing that a ceasefire and elections will not stop Russian aggression.
"Russia is increasing production of missiles and ammunition and finding ways to evade sanctions. Russia's alliance with North Korea does not indicate that it is ready for peace. That is why Ukraine needs a deeper approach from international partners, not just the idea of a ceasefire," said Dmytro Lytvyn, presidential aide.
He stressed that if Kellogg's plan is limited to a ceasefire and elections, it will be a "failure" because it will not deter Putin.
At the same time, Lytvyn stressed that during previous meetings, Donald Trump had demonstrated "a deep understanding of the situation and possible levers of pressure on the Kremlin."
"It is important to quickly move to real work between the teams on a concrete plan to end the war and ensure a lasting peace," he added.
It is worth recalling that Ukrainian legislation explicitly banning holding elections during martial law (Part 1 of Article 19 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law"), which was introduced on February 24, 2022 and has been repeatedly extended. The powers of the president and parliament remain in force until new authorities are elected (Article 10).
Historical examples also show a different approach to elections in times of war: The United Kingdom did not hold elections during World War II, while the United States, whose military operations took place abroad, organized elections.
Author: Danylo Pievchev