Zelenskyy is reportedly planning an election, the announcement of a referendum on February 24
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly planning to call presidential elections and a referendum on a possible peace deal to end the war with Russia, with an announcement expected on February 24, the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale offensive.
The Financial Times, citing Ukrainian and European officials involved in the plans, reported on Wednesday that both the presidential vote, in which Zelenskyy will seek re-election, and the national referendum can be held on May 15.
The center said Kyiv could risk losing proposed US security guarantees if it does not get both votes that day.
The Financial Times noted that although the deadlines previously set by the US have passed, American officials this time are applying heavy pressure on Ukraine as the mid-November elections approach.
ZELENSKYY IS READY TO MAKE NEW PEACE PROPOSALS TO US AND RUSSIA AFTER WORKING WITH EUROPEAN TALKS.
A note marks a voter’s ballot box with high temperatures at a polling station during Ukraine’s 2020 local elections in Rubizhne, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, on October 25, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Kovalyov Oleksiy/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
It added that the timeline could be complicated by the wide gap between Moscow and Kyiv on key local issues, including control of the Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and the need for parliament to amend the law because martial law currently prevents national elections during wartime.
Zelenskyy has previously insisted that the timing and format of any election are matters for Ukraine and its citizens alone, rejecting any suggestion that the Kremlin could dictate the process.
In several long posts on X in December, he argued that two key factors will determine whether the vote will take place: security and the rule of law.
ZELENSKYY SAYS THE SECURITY CERTIFICATE DOCUMENT IS ‘100% READY’ TO BE SIGNED.
A woman casts her ballot at a mobile voting station during early voting in Russia’s presidential election in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, March 14, 2024. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
Zelenskyy said that voting can only take place in the territory controlled by Ukraine and must ensure the participation of the national security forces. Elections will not be held in Russian-held territories, he explained, due to concerns about how they will be conducted.
He also suggested that a ceasefire, at least during elections or referendums, may be necessary to ensure secure conditions, including a secure airspace and the presence of international observers.
The reported deadline from the Trump administration comes after the Associated Press reported that Washington aims to end the war by June.
Ukrainian workers vote at a polling station during Ukraine’s parliamentary elections in Velyki Mosty, Lviv Oblast, on July 21, 2019. (Mykola Tys/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Trilateral talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine were held in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of February, where the parties met twice but produced limited progress – agreeing on the exchange of 314 prisoners, the first such exchange in five months.
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US special envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington and Moscow agreed to re-establish military-to-military dialogue, calling the channel “important for achieving and maintaining peace.”
He said the discussions on the three cases will continue in the coming weeks after the delegates report to their homes.
