MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Presidential elections in Ukraine can be held only after the end of hostilities, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky told the BBC.

"According to [Ukrainian] legislation, elections must be held in peacetime when there are no hostilities," he said when asked whether Ukraine would hold presidential elections next year.

Earlier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Tini Kox said that Ukrainian authorities must find a way to hold parliamentary and presidential elections on time. In response, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexey Danilov said that "no elections can be held" under martial law in the country. Former LPR Ambassador to Moscow Rodion Miroshnik earlier told TASS that in order to hold parliamentary elections on October 29, 2023, as required by law, Ukraine should not extend martial law after August 18, but announce elections and the beginning of the election campaign on August 28, which should last for 60 days. According to the country's legislation, the next presidential election must be held in the spring of 2024.

Zelensky declared martial law in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. It was extended several times. The last time was on May 20, 2023, when martial law was extended for 90 days, until August 18.