Ukraine open to discussing election possibility with Trump’s team, ambassador says

Ukrainian ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova has said that Ukraine is open to discussing the possibility of holding elections by the end of the year with the Trump team, should the issue be raised by the US administration.

"When this issue was theoretically discussed in 2023-2024, our position was that combat operations must be completed first. During the war, we will be unable to ensure full access to voting and candidacy," the diplomat said, Caliber.Az reports.

Earlier, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg stated that the US is urging Ukraine to hold elections.

He noted that the elections must be held possibly by the end of 2025, particularly if Kyiv is able to negotiate a truce with Russia in the coming months.

Kellogg stated that the Ukrainian presidential and parliamentary elections, which were suspended due to the war with Russia, "need to take place."

 "Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war. I think it is important they do so," Kellogg said. "I think it is good for democracy. That's the beauty of a solid democracy, you have more than one person potentially running."

President Zelenskyy's five-year term was set to end in 2024, but under martial law, which Ukraine imposed in February 2022, presidential and parliamentary elections cannot be held.

According to two former senior US officials, Washington raised the topic of elections with Zelenskyy's office in both 2023 and 2024.

However, officials in Kyiv have previously resisted discussions about holding elections with Washington, warning that conducting elections during such a volatile period could undermine Ukraine's position and potentially open the door for Russian influence campaigns.

By Naila Huseynova