LONDON, March 20. /TASS/. Ukraine will not be able to hold a presidential election this year, The Times reported citing a representative of the country’s Central Election Commission.

"Everyone agrees, including members of parliament, that the active phase of hostilities must cease, a clear line of demarcation must be established and only after that a six-month period is needed to organize elections," Sergey Dubovik, deputy head of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission, told the newspaper.

According to The Times, a working group was tasked with preparing a bill on holding elections, with the expectation that they would present it to parliament as early as last month, but that has not happened as key issues remain unresolved. Discussions are now scheduled for late May. However, the group agreed that Ukraine should enter a campaign period no sooner than six months after the necessary legislation is discussed and adopted, and a ceasefire is established. These conditions effectively rule out a presidential election this year, the publication noted.

The Times said that if it doesn’t hold elections in 2026, Kiev risks creating tensions with the US administration, which advocates for holding a vote sooner rather than later.

Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential term officially expired on May 20, 2024, but Kiev chose not to hold an election, claiming that that was impossible as long as the country was under martial law. Zelensky has repeatedly stated his readiness to hold elections but noted that legislative changes and security guarantees are required, calling on lawmakers to prepare the necessary amendments and on the United States and Europe to ensure the security of the vote. Russian President Vladimir Putin has emphasized that Zelensky’s mandate "has expired along with his legitimacy, and no tricks can restore it.".