Zelensky is considering announcing the organization of presidential elections and a national referendum on a peace agreement on the fourth anniversary of the start of the war, February 24, the Financial Times reports, citing sources.
According to the newspaper, Kyiv has begun working on a scenario to hold the presidential election and a referendum simultaneously after increased pressure from the administration of Donald Trump. The White House is demanding that peace negotiations be concluded and that both votes take place before May 15, linking this requirement to the provision of U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine. Failing that, Kyiv risks losing those guarantees, FT sources say.
As the FT writes, Washington is insisting on the conclusion of a broader peace agreement, which would likely involve territorial concessions, including on Donbas. The United States would like to finalize negotiations by mid-May. The newspaper had previously reported that security guarantees for Ukraine are directly tied to its willingness to accept such concessions. At the end of January, Reuters also wrote that peace agreements with Russia were viewed in Washington as a necessary condition for continuing to provide security guarantees to Kyiv.
This approach, the FT notes, aligns with recent statements by Volodymyr Zelensky. After the trilateral meeting between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States held in Abu Dhabi on February 4–5, Zelensky said that the American side would like to end the war by the summer in order to focus on the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November. According to him, pressure on Kyiv will be structured around this timeline. He also noted at the time that Russia continues to demand the withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from Donbas, while Kyiv proposes sticking to the principle of “we stay where we are.”
Sources close to the Ukrainian president told the FT that Zelensky and his team had made it clear to the White House that they were ready to consider such a compressed timetable, despite the serious difficulties associated with organizing elections during wartime.
According to Ukrainian and European officials, the announcement of elections and a referendum could be scheduled for February 24, marking the fourth anniversary of the start of the war. However, FT sources doubt that the United States will be able to enforce strict adherence to this deadline, as the end of the war depends on a number of factors, including Moscow’s willingness to make compromises.
At the same time, the preparation of elections, the newspaper notes, highlights Zelensky’s desire to increase his chances of re-election while showing Washington that Kyiv is not seeking to delay the peace settlement process, if such a settlement proves possible at all.
The office of the Ukrainian president did not respond to the FT’s request for comment. A source at RBC-Ukraine close to Zelensky’s circle said that “as long as there is no security, there will be no announcements about elections.”
Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the presidential office, also expressed doubts about the proposed timeline in an interview with Breakfast Show. According to him, elections can only be held after the end of the active phase of the war and missile and drone strikes. Otherwise, citizens would not be able to fully exercise their right to run for office and participate in voting. In addition, holding elections would require significant funding and a complete overhaul of the electoral system to adapt it to the country’s current situation.
