President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine could hold national elections within three months if its Western partners can deliver one thing the war-battered country cannot guarantee alone: a safe vote under Russian fire.
Zelenskyy's comments mark his clearest signal yet that he is willing to test Ukraine’s democracy in wartime, even as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies pressure for rapid elections and a swift peace deal with Moscow.
Ukrainian law forbids voting under martial law, and Zelenskyy’s five-year term expired last year – fuel for critics who accuse him of clinging to power. He calls those claims “totally inadequate.”
But the president insists the issue comes down to two hurdles: protecting millions of Ukrainians scattered across front lines, occupied territories and bomb-scarred cities – and writing the laws needed to make any wartime ballot legitimate.
“To hold elections, two issues must be addressed,” Zelenskyy told reporters. “Security – how to conduct them under strikes and missile attacks – and the legislative framework to ensure a lawful vote.” If those conditions are met, he said, Ukraine could be ready “in the next 60–90 days.”
The debate erupted after Trump told Politico that Ukraine risked slipping out of the democratic lane by avoiding elections, echoing talking points from Moscow. “It gets to a point where it's not a democracy anymore,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly argued that Zelenskyy lacks legitimacy because his term expired in 2024 – a claim Kyiv dismisses under wartime law.
Zelenskyy, threading a narrow diplomatic path, rejected Trump’s allegation but signaled openness to compromise.
He asked his party’s lawmakers to draft legislation enabling elections under martial law, knowing that polls consistently show Ukrainians supporting his stance but increasingly craving new political voices.
Alongside the election dispute, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian officials would present updated peace proposals to U.S. negotiators Wednesday.
The talks come as Trump pushes for a deal that many in Kyiv fear tilts toward Russian interests, prompting Zelenskyy to shore up European support.
In a whirlwind week, he met leaders of Britain, Germany, France, NATO and the EU, before traveling to Rome for meetings with Italy’s prime minister and Pope Leo XIV.
He said three documents are now in circulation: a 20-point framework that continues to evolve, a security-guarantees plan, and a blueprint for Ukraine’s long-term recovery.
Russia, meanwhile, praised Trump’s approach.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow valued the American president’s “commitment to dialogue,” calling him “the only Western leader” who understands the “inevitable” path that led to the war.
All this unfolds as Ukraine faces shrinking military support.
The Kiel Institute reported Wednesday that foreign military aid has fallen sharply in 2025, dropping from an average of 41.6 billion euros ($48.4 billion) between 2022-2024 to just 32.5 billion euros so far this year.
The cutbacks follow Trump’s decision to halt U.S. supplies unless covered by other NATO countries.
While Germany nearly tripled its monthly contributions and Nordic nations have stepped up, other European powers have slipped: Spain contributed no new aid in 2025, while Italy reduced its already modest support by 15%.
“If this slower pace continues,” Kiel warned, “2025 will become the year with the lowest level of new aid allocations since the war began.”
