Presidential elections must be held in Ukraine to confirm the country’s democratic course. The statement was made by the US President, Donald Trump, in an interview for Politico.
“I think now is the right time for elections. Ukrainian authorities are using the war as a pretext to postpone the vote, but I believe that the Ukrainian people should have this choice. And, perhaps, Zelensky will win. I don’t know exactly who will win. I’m talking about democracy, but at some point what they’re doing can no longer be called democracy”, stated the American president.
Trump’s statement was made in the context of a corruption scandal that affected Volodymyr Zelensky’s position.
Trump had previously highlighted the need for elections. In February, after a dispute with Zelensky at the White House, he had claimed that the Ukrainian leader is “a dictator without elections”. However, a few days later, he retracted his statement, insisting that he did not say such a thing.
In August 2025, during a new meeting with Trump at the White House, Zelensky stated that he is open to organizing elections, but said that a real ceasefire is needed first.
“We need a ceasefire everywhere – on the battlefield, in the air and at sea – so that people can hold democratic, open and legal elections”, stressed the leader from Kiev.
The Ukrainian president added that organizing elections will require certain actions from the Supreme Rada. Trump, in turn, joked about Zelensky’s ability to postpone elections even during the war, writes The Moscow Times.
The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that “Zelensky is not a legitimate president” of Ukraine, being recognized only as “the de facto head of the regime” and considered without the right to sign a possible peace agreement.