US President Donald Trump has voiced support for holding presidential elections in Ukraine. In an interview with Politico, he said: “I think it’s time. I think this is an important moment to hold elections. They are using the war as a reason not to, but I believe the Ukrainian people should have a choice. And perhaps Zelensky will win.” Trump claimed that Ukraine “hasn’t held presidential elections for a long time.” He added: “You know, they talk about democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s no longer democracy.”
Ukrainian law allows for the suspension of parliamentary elections for the duration of martial law. The legislation does not, however, regulate the holding of presidential elections under such conditions. Martial law was introduced in February 2022 after the start of Russia’s invasion and has been extended multiple times since. As a result, the elections to the Verkhovna Rada scheduled for October 2023 did not take place, nor did the presidential election planned for March 2024 under peacetime rules.