Zelensky makes another statement about elections during the war
12 February 15:35
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that elections without the participation of the military, Ukrainians from the occupied territories and those abroad would not be fair.
The head of state said this in an interview with The Guardian, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
“It is very important that (US President Donald Trump’s Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia Keith – ed.) Kellogg comes to Ukraine. Then he will understand our people, our circumstances, understand what is happening, see the attitude of Ukrainians to the elections. This is not just a matter of legislation or the Constitution. These are also important, but this is not the point. I think he should go and ask people himself, anyone – civilians, at the front, everywhere. He will hear that people do not understand how this can be done during the war. After all, this is a matter of security and justice for the military. It is important that they vote because they protect us. It is very difficult with people who are in the occupied territories. Not giving them the opportunity (to vote) sends a signal that we are without them. This is a signal to them – Melitopol, Berdiansk, Mariupol. We also need to address the issue of eight million people who are abroad,” Zelensky said.
At the same time, he noted that this position does not mean that the elections will take place “when we solve all the issues, in twenty years.”
“No. But we can’t shout out loud without solving anything: we want elections!” the president said.
He added that Ukrainians perceive the idea of elections “as a shock, and do not understand why we are being offered this.”
When asked by a journalist whether Zelenskyy would run in the election, he replied: “I don’t know. I don’t know how this war will end.”
The president also called on European and American partners not to negotiate with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, but to take care of their own security.
“Putin has never asked for anything – he simply invaded our territory. So why should people whose continent is at war today ask him? Maybe we should just stop these infantile conversations? Our security guarantees are ours. Europe needs to defend itself because it is Europe. And the ‘Russians’ are the ‘Russians’. They need to be put in their place,” Zelensky said.
He added that Ukrainians have great confidence in their army.
“If there is an opportunity to seriously increase our army, and we have the weapons and finances for this, we can live without another contingent, but I repeat – this is the defense of Europe. The fact that their contingent can be with us, at sea or on land, means that they will keep the defense. Because Putin will go to their countries after us. So they need it,” the president emphasized.
As a reminder, the United States wants Ukraine to hold elections, possibly by the end of the year, especially if Kyiv can agree on a truce with Russia in the coming months.
Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said in an interview that the Ukrainian presidential and parliamentary elections, which were suspended during the war with Russia, “need to be held.”
Ukraine’s elections were supposed to be held in March 2024, but with martial law imposed across the country, the vote was postponed indefinitely.
