Holding elections during the full-scale war could divide Ukrainian society and destabilize the state, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. According to him, a vote could be organized only if there were specific security guarantees and equal access for all citizens.
Zelenskyy made the remarks in a comment to Suspilne.
The president stressed that elections could only be discussed if a legal, secure and democratic mechanism were in place. It would have to allow military personnel, residents of frontline areas and millions of Ukrainians living abroad to vote.
“If we want to tear the country apart, then we can move toward elections,” Zelenskyy said.
According to him, Ukraine has asked its international partners to propose a concrete way to hold elections safely, but no such guarantees have been offered. Meanwhile, Russia continues to strike Ukrainian cities, while Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire.
“Elections right now would be a tsunami for the state that would divide Ukraine,” the president emphasized.
Zelenskyy previously said that a presidential election and a referendum on a possible peace agreement could be held if a ceasefire lasting at least two months were established. He said that period would be needed to prepare the vote and ensure public safety.
What Mykhailo Fedorov said about elections
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov previously called on Ukraine not to postpone the restoration of a full democratic process until the war ends. In a video address to Ukrainians, he argued that Russia should not effectively determine when Ukrainian citizens are able to elect their government again.
“We must find a legal, secure and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even during a prolonged war,” Fedorov said.
He acknowledged that such a process would have to guarantee voting rights for military personnel, Ukrainians living abroad and residents of frontline regions. It would also have to ensure the security of the vote, the independence of institutions and public trust in the results.
In a subsequent interview with Channel 24, Fedorov clarified that he supported holding presidential, parliamentary and local elections. He said their order and the intervals between the votes should be determined after consultations with Ukrainian and international experts.
Among the possible solutions, Fedorov mentioned advance online registration for voters abroad, voting over several days and the use of protected underground premises in frontline cities. He emphasized that he was not calling for an immediate election campaign, but for legislation and organizational mechanisms to be prepared in advance.
“Difficulty does not mean impossibility. Ukraine has already done many things that the world considered impossible,” the former minister said.
Current Ukrainian legislation prohibits presidential, parliamentary and local elections while martial law remains in force.
