Zelenskiy: Ukraine Elections Possible This Year If Martial Law Ends

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said presidential and parliamentary elections could happen this year if negotiations bring an end to the "hot phase" of the war with Russia, allowing for the lifting of martial law.

Speaking in an interview broadcast on Ukrainian television late on January 2, Zelenskiy said Ukraine's position after it emerges from any settlement of the current battle to repel invading Russian troops will determine whether the country's long-delayed elections could take place.

“When it comes to 2025, should we manage to achieve the end of the hot phase of the war for Ukraine; once we manage to achieve it along with a strong army, strong weaponry package, and strong security guarantees, then this [elections] will happen," Zelenskiy said in the interview where he was accompanied by his wife, Olena.

"After that, in principle, we can think of lifting martial law in Ukraine. Once martial law is over, then the ball is in parliament’s court -- the parliament then picks a date for elections...My thinking is that there is no need to spend years waiting [for elections] once martial law is over.”

Zelenskiy's five-year term in office was supposed to end last year on May 20.

The 46-year-old entertainer-turned-politician would not commit on whether he'd seek another term as the country's leader.

"If I do more than I can, then I will probably look at this decision more positively. Today, this is not my goal," he said.

A presidential election was to have taken place in March or April 2024, but was postponed because the country is still under martial law. Under the Ukrainian Constitution, Zelenskiy must continue to perform his duties until a new head of state is elected.

Parliamentary elections were to be held on October 29, 2023, but they too were postponed due to the implementation of martial law.

Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. It has been extended in 90-day intervals 13 times by parliament, with the most-recent extension running until February 7.

What Awaits Ukraine War In 2025 Amid Shifting Political Climate?

Lawmakers would have to amend the law in order to hold elections during a state of war. Many analysts and politicians have cited concerns over security, displaced voters, and infrastructure as major impediments to Ukraine holding any type of legitimate election under the current circumstances.

While Russia has questioned Zelenskiy's legitimacy because of the delayed election, the European Union has said it had no doubt about his status as leader of Ukraine, while the United Nations has backed him saying Zelenskiy "remains...the person with whom the secretary-general communicates when he needs to contact the Ukrainian leader."

"In Ukraine people have concerns about elections at the time of war and in Russia they strongly want this to happen -- that’s so they keep giving traction to their narrative about the [alleged] illegitimacy of Ukraine’s president,” Zelenskiy said in the January 2 interview.

Speculation that peace talks could start soon has picked up in recent weeks.

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Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin dangled the prospect of Russian concessions before audiences in Washington and the West, saying more than once during his annual question-and-answer conference that Russia was ready for a compromise.

But he attached numerous conditions to the idea of compromise, suggesting Moscow’s goal of subjugating Ukraine and winning major security guarantees from NATO and the West remain in place, as well as saying he does not consider Zelenskiy a legitimate leader.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump -- scheduled to be inaugurated on January 20 -- has said he would move to end the war quickly, though he has given no details.