MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Ukraine is not currently holding discussions with the US on the possibility of elections before the end of 2025 but is ready to address the issue if Washington raises it, the Obshchestvennoye media outlet reported, citing Ukrainian ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova.
In her interview with the publication, Markarova recalled that when this topic was "discussed theoretically" in 2023-2024, Kiev stated that it was necessary to end hostilities in order to hold the election.
Earlier, the US presidential special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said that Washington wanted the Ukrainian presidential election to be held before the end of this year, especially if a truce with Russia is concluded. In this regard, former Ukrainian Prime Minister (2010-2014) Nikolay Azarov said that Kiev would not be able to deny Washington such a demand because it is fully dependent on the US funding and arms supplies, while the EU is unable to fully replace them.
Ukraine was supposed to have held presidential elections in March 2024. The authorities said they didn’t happen because of martial law, but many experts believe that only the powers of the legislature should be extended under martial law, but not the term of the head of state. Zelensky’s term in office expired after May 20 last year. However, he said that he was not concerned about his legitimacy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Zelensky’s legitimacy has ended, so it is important to understand who in Kiev would be the right counterparty to sign any legally binding deal. He has insisted that the current Ukrainian leadership is now illegitimate, representing a legal hurdle that would devalue the outcome of any talks it holds.