Under U.S. pressure, Kyiv opens debate on wartime elections

Ukraine’s ruling party has started preliminary internal discussions on how presidential elections could be organised under martial law, reopening a sensitive debate that sits at the intersection of constitutional law, wartime security and mounting international pressure.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s narrative by questioning the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy due to the absence of elections amid martial law, accusing him of “using the war” to avoid holding a vote and even labeling him a “dictator without elections,” while pressing for new presidential elections to be conducted despite ongoing hostilities.

David Arakhamia, head of the parliamentary faction of Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party, said a working group is being formed in the Verkhovna Rada to “quickly” examine the issue of potential presidential elections during the period of martial law. He announced the move on Telegram, stressing that discussions would take place within the framework of the parliament’s committee on state governance, local self-government, regional development and urban planning.

According to Arakhamia, representatives of all parliamentary factions and groups will be invited to participate, alongside officials from the Central Election Commission and civil society organisations specialising in electoral processes. Media representatives are also expected to be invited once a meeting date is set.

The initiative remains exploratory rather than legislative. As recently as 11 December, first deputy speaker of parliament Oleksandr Korniienko said there were no draft laws or formal initiatives regulating elections during wartime. Korniienko, who has since been elected leader of Servant of the People, is expected to head the new working group, with deputies Olena Kondratiuk and Olena Shuliak serving as his deputies.

Constitutional limits and security realities

Ukraine’s constitution and electoral laws prohibit presidential and parliamentary elections while martial law is in force. Zelenskyy reiterated this position on 2 January, while leaving open the possibility that parliament could lift martial law and schedule elections if the “hot phase” of the war were to end.

The president has consistently argued that security conditions are decisive. In response to calls for elections, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would need clear security guarantees, adding that if such conditions were ensured, the country could be ready to vote within 60 to 90 days. He has also warned that elections that would exclude active military personnel, Ukrainians living in temporarily occupied territories, or those who have fled abroad, would not be legitimate.

The logistical challenges remain stark. Deputy head of the Central Election Commission Serhiy Dubovyk said on 11 December that only 75% of polling stations in Ukraine are currently operational, with the remainder damaged or destroyed as a result of Russian attacks.

International pressure and divergent signals

The debate has been sharpened by external voices. U.S. President Donald Trump told Politico on 9 December that he questioned Ukraine’s democratic credentials due to the absence of elections during the war, arguing that voting should take place despite martial law.

Zelenskyy signals openness to wartime elections amid U.S. pressure for quick peace deal

EU officials responded by reaffirming that Zelenskyy is Ukraine’s legitimate president and that elections should be held when circumstances allow. Brussels has largely aligned itself with Kyiv’s position that wartime voting without adequate security would undermine, rather than strengthen, democratic legitimacy.

Moscow enters the debate

Russia has seized on the issue to advance its own narrative. Speaking at his annual press conference on 19 December, Putin claimed Moscow would be willing to “consider ways to ensure election security in Ukraine”.

“I’ll say something now that may come as a surprise: we are ready to consider ways to ensure election security in Ukraine, at least by stopping, or refraining from, attacks deep into the territory on election day,” Putin said.

He also insisted that Ukrainians living in Russia – estimated by Moscow at between five and ten million people, must be granted the right to vote if elections are held. “If elections are to be held, we have the right to demand that those organising them grant Ukrainians currently living in Russia the right to vote within the Russian Federation,” he said, adding that “without elections, legitimacy is impossible”.

Kyiv has not responded directly to Putin’s remarks, which Ukrainian officials and analysts view as part of a broader effort to question the legitimacy of Ukraine’s leadership while retaining military leverage.

Sources: EUalive’s partner Suspilne, Reuters

Caption: Local people hide themselves in a shelter during an air-raid alarm, near the site of a drone strike on a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, 21 July 2025, amid the Russian invasion. At least two people died and 15 people were injured after Russian forces launched an overnight large-scale combined attack with at least 24 missiles and 426 drones across Ukraine, the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine reported. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO