Ukraine official denies any plans to announce elections as war rages

4 days ago 7

Kyiv — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not program to marque an announcement astir looming statesmanlike elections connected Feb. 24, an advisor to the Ukrainian person told CBS News connected Wednesday, aft a study suggested helium would docket a nationalist ballot owed to unit from President Trump.

"There is nary alteration successful the negotiations way that would pb the president to marque this announcement," said the adviser, who spoke connected the information of anonymity.

The Financial Times reported earlier that Zelenskyy did program to denote statesmanlike elections would beryllium held arsenic soon arsenic May during an code connected Feb. 24, the day that volition people 4 years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Zelenskyy told journalists successful Kyiv past week that the Trump medication was pushing Ukraine and Russia to hold to a woody to extremity the warfare by June.

"The Americans are proposing the parties extremity the warfare by the opening of this summertime and volition astir apt enactment unit connected the parties precisely according to this schedule," Zelenskyy said.

Mr. Trump has astatine times been fiercely captious of Zelenskyy, including successful comments 1 twelvemonth ago erstwhile helium called him a "dictator without elections." But Ukrainian politicians constituent retired that nether the country's constitution, nationalist elections cannot beryllium held during martial instrumentality — which has been imposed since Russia launched its war.

Are elections feasible successful Ukraine arsenic the warfare continues?

In December, President Trump renewed that enactment of criticism, accusing Zelenskyy of "using the war" to debar elections successful an interview with Politico.

The Ukrainian person responded to Mr. Trump's comments then, saying elections could beryllium held if the U.S. and Europe were prepared to "ensure security" successful his state amid Russia's ongoing assault.

Large nationalist gatherings person been prohibited successful Ukraine and curfews stay successful spot nether the martial instrumentality measures intended to support civilian life. Meanwhile,Russia's deadly airstrikes amusement nary motion of abating.

In January alone, Russia deed Ukraine with a grounds 5,717 bombs and missiles, according to an investigation by the Ukrainian radical Oko Gora + News and Analytics. Explosive drone attacks person besides been relentless. Officials said 1 drone hit a civilian location overnight successful the Kharkiv region, sidesplitting a begetter and his 3 toddlers and earnestly wounding his large wife.

On apical of the information risks, experts accidental ineligible and logistical constraints besides marque holding elections during the warfare astir impossible. According to Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, it is amerciable to clasp either parliamentary oregon statesmanlike elections nether martial law.

The warfare has besides driven galore Ukrainian voters retired of the country, and there's small infrastructure successful spot to alteration distant voting. As of November 2024, determination were immoderate 5.2 cardinal Ukrainian refugees abroad, according to the Center for Economic Strategy, portion United Nation's International Organization for Migration estimates an further 3 cardinal Ukrainians are internally displaced and would besides beryllium incapable to ballot astatine section polling stations.

For each those reasons, Ukrainian officials accidental elections cannot beryllium held earlier a ceasefire comes into effect.

Many besides reason that immoderate nationalist predetermination should see oregon travel a referendum for the Ukrainian radical to backmost — oregon cull — the presumption of immoderate eventual woody to extremity the war, which could see Ukraine making territorial concessions, though Zelenskyy has frankincense acold ruled that out.

According to the president's office, specified a referendum would lone beryllium valid if much than fractional of the country's eligible voters are capable to participate.

"Elections are conscionable 1 portion of a bid plan," the Ukrainian statesmanlike advisor told CBS News connected Wednesday. "We volition ballot connected each points of the bid program together, and we cannot cherry prime elections separately."

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