Elections in Ukraine will be held immediately after martial law is lifted – Zelensky

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with US podcaster Lex Fridman, Ukrinform reports.

Elections cannot be held in Ukraine “until the war is over, or the legislation needs to be changed,” Zelensky said.

“I believe that the elections will take place immediately after the end of martial law - this is according to the law. Or members of the parliament need to get together and change legislation, which will be very difficult to do because society is against it,” the President noted.

In his words, these should be elections “that we want to trust.” To do this, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions for millions of Ukrainians who have left the country to vote. Millions more are in the occupied territories. “This is a difficult question,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that the elections would be unfair “without having a million soldiers”.

When asked whether he would run for a second term, he said: “I don't really know... It is a very difficult question”. He stated that the decision would depend on the outcome of the war and on what people will want.

He added that it also depends on his family.

“We had not time to speak about it with my family. And, of course, didn’t have a chance because we don’t think about it now,” Zelensky emphasized.

According to him, some politicians and representatives of the opposition raise the topic of elections. However, according to him, politicians should not start an election campaign now, as holding elections during the war could cause a split in the Ukrainian nation.

Zelensky emphasized that he was focused on the war and that the most challenging debates would be at the negotiating table.

Photo: President’s Office