The US is urging Ukraine to hold presidential and parliamentary elections this year, particularly if a ceasefire is reached. According to a Reuters report, this is in line with the stance of Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy to Ukraine under President Donald Trump.
“In most democratic countries, elections are held even during a war. I believe it is crucial that Ukraine follows this example. It is a sign of a stable democracy if multiple candidates can compete for the highest office” Kellogg stated in an interview.
Sources close to the White House have revealed that Kellogg and other officials have been discussing how to persuade Kiev to agree to holding elections as part of a potential peace agreement with Russia. Two informed sources and a former US official confirmed that such deliberations are underway.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy won the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election with over 73% of the vote. The next presidential election was initially scheduled for March 31, 2024, but was postponed due to the ongoing war. Zelenskyy’s term officially ended on May 20 and the parliamentary election, originally set for October 2023, was also postponed.
The Trump administration is currently considering whether to press Kiev to hold elections to kickstart a peace process with Russia. However, no concrete details or timeline have been revealed for such an initiative. In the past, the US has pushed for elections, but Kiev has consistently cited the unstable situation.
The Ukrainian government is skeptical of the proposal, with Zelenskyy regularly emphasizing that elections can only be held after a stable ceasefire and under secure conditions. The government also fears that holding elections during the war could lead to “internal instability.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov stated that Moscow has no information about a potential US initiative for Ukrainian elections. The Kremlin has repeatedly emphasized that Putin is willing to negotiate without preconditions.