Zelenskyy Spoke About Online Elections and a Winter Ceasefire with Russia
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine could consider holding elections online, but for this to happen, parliament must find an appropriate solution. According to him, voting is currently complicated by the war, the millions of Ukrainians living abroad, and the soldiers on the front lines who are unable to vote. Zelenskyy emphasized that elections must take place after the war ends, and a winter ceasefire could be one possible step toward that goal.
Journalists asked the president why elections are not being held in Ukraine during martial law and whether it is possible to find a way to organize voting under the current conditions. Zelenskyy replied that this issue is under discussion. According to him, the initiative to hold elections is coming from the inner circle of U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
At the same time, the president noted, Ukrainians understand how difficult it is to organize elections during a war. First and foremost, people’s safety must be ensured. Zelenskyy reminded that elections should be, above all, an opportunity for citizens to choose their government, not a celebration for the candidates themselves. “It is a day for the people who vote, not a celebration for the person being elected,” he said.
Why It’s Difficult to Hold Elections Now
The president cited several reasons why organizing a full-scale election during wartime is not easy. According to him, about 9 million Ukrainians are currently abroad. Several million more people live in temporarily occupied territories. At the same time, Ukrainian troops continue to fight on the front lines and must also have the opportunity to cast their votes.
Zelenskyy cited the very issue of military personnel voting as one of the main arguments against holding elections under the current conditions. “They [the military] are also against the elections because they don’t have the opportunity to vote. Is that fair? Millions of people are in the trenches, and technically we cannot organize voting for them,” the president explained.
He emphasized that the military is risking their lives to defend the country, so we cannot allow a situation where they are unable to participate in the elections. “Holding elections when soldiers cannot vote is unfair. It’s one hundred percent unfair,” Zelenskyy stated.
At the same time, the president did not rule out the possibility of online voting. According to him, this option can be discussed, but implementing it requires specific legislative decisions. “We can consider online elections. It’s possible, but then parliament must seek and find appropriate solutions,” the head of state said.
Why Elections Could Divide Society
Zelenskyy cited a potential division within society as another risk. According to him, some Ukrainians fear that the election campaign could intensify conflicts between people. During wartime, this creates additional challenges for the country. Therefore, the president believes that elections in Ukraine should take place only after the war has ended.
He also emphasized the role of the military in the upcoming election. According to Zelenskyy, it is the country’s defenders who should have the opportunity to elect the head of state, since they preserved Ukraine’s independence and continue to defend it.
Zelenskyy Proposed a Winter Ceasefire to the U.S.
During the interview, the president also said that he had proposed to the U.S. side that they negotiate a winter ceasefire with Russia. According to him, this would give people the opportunity to get through the cold season with electricity and water. And a pause in hostilities could create the conditions for holding elections, if the U.S. insists on replacing the Ukrainian president.
“I told the Americans: You can negotiate a winter ceasefire with the Russians, and then people will have electricity and water. And during that time, we could also hold elections if all of you in the U.S. want to replace me,” Zelenskyy said. He added that under such conditions, the possibility of holding a vote would indeed arise.
What Zelenskyy Said About a Ceasefire
Separately, journalists asked the president about the position that Ukraine should allegedly agree to peace even at the cost of ceding part of its territory to Russia. Zelenskyy responded by stating that Ukraine has repeatedly supported various ceasefire options, but Russia has not agreed to such proposals.
According to him, Kyiv had also proposed an energy truce as a first step toward reducing tensions. In addition, the Ukrainian side advocated for a summit-level meeting during which specific steps to end the war could be discussed. Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about the possibility of holding online elections in an interview with the German television channel ZDF.
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