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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Ukraine has started planning for presidential elections under increased pressure from President Donald Trump, according to a new report.
The White House is leaning on Kyiv to hold elections and carry out a referendum on a yet-to-be-agreed peace deal with Russia by mid-May, the Financial Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Zelensky intends to announce plans for an election and peace referendum vote on February 24, the FT reported, coinciding with the four year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
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Newsweek reached out to Ukraine's presidential office for comment. An anonymous source in the presidential office told the RBC-Ukraine outlet on Wednesday there would "be no announcements" about elections while security arrangements were not nailed down.
Zelensky's elected time in office expired in May 2024, but he has stayed in the position as a wartime leader due to the ongoing fighting. Ukraine has repeatedly ruled out the prospect of elections taking place during the war, while the country is still under martial law.
That has sparked criticism from Trump, who's accused the Ukrainian leader of "using war" to avoid elections. Meanwhile Moscow has also attempted to weaponise the issue to undermine Zelensky's leadership.
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Would A Vote Affect Fighting?
Skepticism in Ukraine is high that elections could be rolled out while military control is still in place across the country, and the logistical challenges of holding a nationwide vote are enormous.
Millions of Ukrainians who would be eligible to vote are living abroad while many others are fighting Russian forces along the hundreds of miles of front lines. Others are living in territory currently under Russian control.
Moscow has seized roughly a fifth of territory internationally recognized as part of Ukraine, including areas the Kremlin has controlled since before its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
There are fears in Ukraine that encouraging political battles inside the country during wartime elections would destabilize Kyiv while fighting is still ongoing.
But as Trump has called for elections in Ukraine, and at times criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's standing in office, including calling him a "dictator," the Ukrainian leader has said his government could set up ballots if the U.S. and other backers could ensure voters' safety.
Zelensky indicated in December it could take between 60 and 90 days for Ukrainian authorities to set up elections if all conditions are met.
What Are Zelensky's Chances and Who Are His Competitors?
Zelensky has remained popular, although corruption scandals touching his inner circle have fueled discontent with the government and pulled down his approval rating, according to recent polls.
Who would jostle for power in these future elections is still unclear. One likely contender is Valery Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces who is currently positioned as Kyiv's ambassador to London.
Zaluzhnyi is widely seen as Zelensky's most significant competitor, and met with Zelensky last month. Zaluzhnyi has played down reports of running for political office in Ukraine and has publicly opposed wartime elections.
Zelensky last month also met with Serhiy Prytula, a high-profile Ukrainian presenter who fundraises for the Ukrainian military, and Serhii Sternenko, a prominent volunteer activist who now serves as a drone adviser to Ukraine's defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. Both Prytula and Sternenko have been floated as potential election contenders.
How Soon Could Ukraine's Election Happen?
The Ukrainian leader said last week the Trump administration wanted to have all documents to bring the war to a close inked by the end of June as U.S. officials swivel their focus to the U.S.'s November midterm elections.
While Zelensky has indicated an agreement on security guarantees, the core issue of territorial control remains unresolved.
Elections cannot take place in Ukraine until martial law is lifted, said Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee and a member of Zelensky's party.
"It might be years before it happens," he told Newsweek.
If Ukraine's parliament declares elections, the absolute earliest they could be held is August, Merezhko said.
Vitaly Kim, the longtime governor of Ukraine's southern Mykolaiv region, who was appointed by Zelensky before the war, told Newsweek last week that Zelensky is the "best" option for a postwar leader "for now."
"From the democratic point of view, we need it—this election," Kim said.
Much hinges on the outcome of fresh trilateral talks between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia. Previous rounds in the United Arab Emirates in recent weeks ended without a deal but officials hailed the discussions as constructive.
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