The United States has announced when elections should be held in Ukraine
U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, stated that the United States wants elections in Ukraine to take place, possibly by the end of the year, especially if Kyiv can reach a ceasefire agreement with Russia in the coming months.
This was reported by Reuters.
Volker emphasized that the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine, postponed due to the military deferment, "must be held."
"In most democratic countries, elections are held even during wartime. I think it's important. I believe it's good for democracy. The essence of a robust democracy is that you have more than one potential candidate," said Volker.
Previously, both Trump and Volker had mentioned that they were working on a peace plan. They provided little detail on how they intend to stop the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II. There is also currently no information on the timeline for developing the plan.
Informed sources among U.S. officials indicated that while Trump has not yet made any political decisions regarding the war in Ukraine, his administration is already discussing how to persuade Ukraine to agree to elections after an initial ceasefire agreement with Russia. The Trump administration is also debating whether to pursue an interim ceasefire agreement before negotiating a full peace settlement.
It remains unclear how Trump's proposal will be received in Kyiv. Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that elections in Ukraine would only take place after hostilities cease and reliable security guarantees are provided to Ukraine to prevent another Russian attack.
Sources in Kyiv reported that the Presidential Office has not yet received any official proposals from the White House regarding the timing of elections in Ukraine.
A former Western official, whose name was also not disclosed, expressed concern that the U.S.'s persistent desire to push Ukraine towards elections would require the lifting of martial law to comply with Ukrainian legislation.
"Lifting martial law would allow mobilized soldiers to leave the army, trigger an outflow of hard currency, and encourage a large number of conscription-age men to flee abroad. It could also provoke political instability, as it would make Zelensky a 'lame duck,' weaken his power and influence, and fuel intrigue from potential rivals," the article stated.
Furthermore, if Trump pressures Zelensky to agree to elections, it would appear as if Washington is endorsing Putin's narrative of the "illegitimacy of power" in Ukraine.
"In my opinion, Trump is responding to Russian demands. And Russia wants to get rid of Zelensky," said the source.
Some former U.S. officials have also stated that they do not believe a peace agreement can be reached in the coming months or that elections can be held in 2025. They argue that both sides of the conflict are currently unable to even agree on how to begin official negotiations.