MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. Elections in Ukraine will not be held as long as the active phase of the conflict continues, President Vladimir Zelensky stated in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan when addressing questions about his legitimacy.
During the interview, Morgan highlighted that Russia had been questioning Zelensky's legitimacy, while calls for elections were also emerging from the United States. "I've always said I'm open to any elections. But there can't be elections during an armed conflict. The constitution would have to be changed. The hot stage will end, martial law will end, then elections will be held," Zelensky responded. He further acknowledged that if martial law were lifted now, most of the military personnel would return home to their families.
Earlier, Keith Kellogg, the US president's special envoy for Ukraine, stated that Washington hoped Ukraine could hold its presidential election before the end of this year, particularly if a truce with Russia were achieved.
Presidential elections in Ukraine were originally scheduled for March 2024. The authorities attributed the delay to martial law; however, many experts argue that, even in the case of martial law, only the powers of the Verkhovna Rada should be extended, not those of the head of state. Vladimir Zelensky's presidential powers officially expired on May 20 of last year. Nonetheless, he remarked that he was not troubled by questions of legitimacy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly asserted that Zelensky's legitimacy has expired, emphasizing the importance of having a clear idea who in Kiev should be engaged in discussions aimed at signing legally binding agreements. Putin explained that the current Ukrainian leadership was illegitimate, which posed a risk of legal conflict that could undermine any outcomes from the negotiations.