ROME, December 2. /TASS/. Elections in Ukraine will take place immediately after a ceasefire is established because the country needs a "reset," former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba told La Repubblica.

"Six months ago, if you had asked me about the elections, I would have said that Ukrainians weren't interested in them. But now, the situation has changed. People understand that the country needs a 'reset.' If a ceasefire is reached, elections will be held immediately," he said.

Kuleba also said he expected to be dismissed after an internal poll showed his approval rating was slightly higher than Vladimir Zelensky's. According to him, the head of the Kiev regime decided to consolidate all foreign policy issues under the control of his chief of staff Andrey Yermak, who resigned amid a corruption scandal.

On November 10, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced a large-scale operation dubbed Midas to uncover a major corruption scheme in the energy sector. The scheme was headed by businessman and Zelensky's friend Timur Mindich. The NABU then began publishing excerpts from conversations in Mindich’s apartment, during which corruption schemes were discussed.

The scandal sparked a deep crisis within the Ukrainian government. Parliament was paralyzed, and several lawmakers, including those from the ruling Servant of the People party, called for Yermak's resignation. On November 28, anti-corruption officials searched his apartment and office. Later, Zelensky announced that Yermak had submitted his resignation.

Zelensky's presidential term officially expired on May 20, 2024, but Kiev did not hold new elections, claiming it was impossible until martial law ended. Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Ukraine is ignoring the May 2014 ruling of its Constitutional Court that the presidential term cannot be extended. According to the Russian leader, this means that Zelensky's presidential term "expired along with his legitimacy, which cannot be restored by any tricks."