The Ukrainian government is now making serious preparations for a second presidential term for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to sources in the Ukrainian government, as reported by The Economist.
Last year, the Ukrainian president was to be re-elected, but the election did not take place due to the ongoing war. Zelenskyy’s term is set to expire in May 2024 and in this context, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Zelenskyy is no longer legitimate. However, Kiev maintains that the Ukrainian president remains in office until the next president is elected.
Following the confrontation between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump at the White House, a new survey conducted by Ipsos for The Economist showed overwhelming support for the Ukrainian head of state. More than seven out of ten Ukrainians agree with Zelenskyy’s performance and eight out of ten consider him still the legitimate president of the country, rejecting elections under martial law. According to the survey, Zelenskyy would win the election if it were held today, with former Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Saluschny in second place.
According to sources, Zelenskyy recently held a meeting to instruct his team to organize elections after a complete ceasefire. The United States still hopes for a ceasefire by April 20, when both Orthodox and Catholic Christians celebrate Easter, as reported by Bloomberg a week ago. In February, Zelenskyy extended the martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days until May 9. Martial law prohibits elections.
There are different estimates of the election timeline, but most agree that Zelenskyy is aiming for the summer. The law requires at least 60 days for the election campaign, which would make the earliest possible date for the election early July. Some sources, however, say the campaign would last three months, as long as it takes to recompile the voter lists.
According to a government official, Zelenskyy plans to surprise his opponents by holding the election in July and expects the short time frame will allow him to run without opponents.
In February, the Ukrainian president emphasized that the elections would take place after the end of the martial law. He has also stated he would step down if necessary to calm the country or join NATO.
Last week, the US envoy Steve Witkoff, involved in talks between Moscow and Washington on Ukraine, told journalist Tucker Carlson in an interview that Kiev has agreed to the conduct of the elections.