MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement about the possibly ensuring Ukraine's security during the presidential elections thwarts Kiev's attempts to avoid the elections, according to the Federation Council's Deputy Speaker Konstantin Kosachev.
Putin, at the year-end major news conference, stated that Russia is prepared to consider pausing strikes deep into Ukraine on election day if elections are held there.
"Moscow is prepared to consider ensuring Ukraine's security during the vote - a crucial step announced today, which thwarts the Kiev regime's attempts to avoid the elections by pegging them to a ceasefire. Russia is prepared to act for peace, and this is one of the main messages today," Kosachev wrote on his Telegram channel. Vladimir Zelensky's presidential term officially expired on May 20, 2024, but Kiev has not held regular elections, arguing that this is impossible until martial law ends. Putin previously noted that Ukraine is currently silent about its own Constitutional Court's May 2014 ruling that the presidential term cannot be extended. As the Russian leader emphasized, this means that Zelensky's presidential term "has expired, along with its legitimacy, which cannot be restored by any means."
On December 9, US President Donald Trump declared that the time had come to hold elections in Ukraine. The American leader noted that Kiev is using the conflict to avoid this. That same day, Zelensky declared his readiness to hold presidential elections in Ukraine, but, according to him, this requires legislative changes and security measures to ensure that military personnel can also vote. He asked parliamentarians to prepare "legislative changes" and the US and Europe to ensure security for the vote.