Ukraine agrees to hold presidential elections, US special envoy announces

Ukraine has agreed to conduct elections, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff revealed in an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson. 

Witkoff is participating in ongoing negotiations between Moscow and Washington concerning the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

“They [the elections] will happen. Yes. The [Ukrainian authorities] have agreed to it. There will be elections in Ukraine,” he stated, Caliber.Az reports, referring to foreign media.

Ukraine was scheduled to hold presidential elections last year, but the vote was postponed due to the imposition of martial law. The term of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially expired in May 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that Zelenskyy’s position has become illegitimate due to the expiration of his mandate. However, Ukraine maintains that Zelenskyy remains the legitimate president until the election of his successor. Kyiv has insisted that Zelenskyy holds the presidency legally until a new president is elected.

Witkoff also discussed Ukraine’s stance on NATO membership, revealing that Zelenskyy and his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, have largely agreed that Ukraine will not join NATO. This is a key demand from Moscow, which has long insisted that Ukraine abandon its NATO aspirations as a precondition for resolving the conflict. Witkoff noted that despite this, discussions are still open regarding the possibility of providing Ukraine with security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5, which commits NATO members to consider an attack on one member as an attack on all.

Additionally, Witkoff provided insights into ongoing discussions regarding a ceasefire. According to Witkoff, the negotiators are considering a moratorium on attacks against ships in the Black Sea. He commented, “We are now getting close to implementing this within the next week or so.” He further added that “the ultimate goal is a 30-day ceasefire, during which we will discuss a permanent truce.”

The next round of consultations between Kyiv and Washington, as well as between Washington and Moscow, will take place on March 23-24 in Saudi Arabia. The Kremlin has announced that one of the key topics on March 24 will be the discussion of ensuring the safety of maritime navigation in the Black Sea. This issue is expected to be a focal point in the consultations between US representatives and Russian officials.

By Tamilla Hasanova