Could Ukraine really hold elections in the next 90 days?

(CNN) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this week his country could be ready to hold elections in the next 60 to 90 days if security could be guaranteed, seeking to push back on claims by US President Donald Trump that he is using the war with Russia to cling to power.

Facing mounting pressure from the US president to end the conflict, Zelensky said he was “ready for elections” but that security was a concern.

“How can this be done under missile attacks on our military. The question is, how will they vote?” he said Tuesday.

“I am asking, and I am now declaring this openly, the United States of America to help me, together with our European colleagues, to ensure security for the elections.”

When did Ukraine last hold elections?

Zelensky won an April 2019 presidential election by a landslide and dissolved parliament when he was sworn in a month later. His Servant of the People party won an outright majority in parliamentary elections in July that year.

Less than three years later, in February 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion, and Zelensky’s popularity skyrocketed, with polls finding 90% of Ukrainians said they trusted him. While his approval ratings are down from 2022 levels, they have held fairly steady over the last couple of years.

Why hasn’t Ukraine had an election since 2019?

The short answer: Martial law prohibits them.

Ukraine was scheduled to hold a presidential election in 2024. But after Russia’s full-scale invasion, martial law was declared to allow the country to resist the onslaught of Russian forces. It has been extended in 90-day increments ever since by presidential decrees.

Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have said repeatedly that elections will take place once the war ends and international standards for voting can be met.

So why is Zelensky now saying he’s ready for elections?

It’s a delicate time in peace negotiations. Ukraine is preparing to submit its revisions to a peace plan spearheaded by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

An initial 28-point peace plan, which was criticized as heavily favoring Russia’s maximalist demands, has been slimmed down to 20 points, but the key issue of territory remains unresolved.

Zelensky is facing continued and increasing pressure from Trump to make concessions, and this is one of the levers the US president seems to be pushing.

Instead of bowing to the pressure, Zelensky has adopted a new approach that appears aimed at highlighting the need for security guarantees — and leveraging this to push the US to secure Russia’s agreement to an interim ceasefire.

Why are Trump (and Russia) calling for elections?

Calling Zelensky illegitimate and questioning his electoral mandate has been one of the cornerstones of Russian propaganda since 2024 when Zelensky’s term was due to end. This narrative has previously crept into remarks by US Cabinet officials. Now Trump is accusing Zelensky of using the war to avoid elections.

Election advocates say Russia’s history of interference makes it all the more important to hold polls when they can meet international standards.

“It is about the reputation and legitimacy of the Ukrainian state as it is. Without legitimacy, this state will not survive, because Russia will destroy our reputation, and then we will be a failed state,” said Olha Aivazovska, from the electoral reform group the Opora Civil Network.

Some analysts, however, say that holding elections now would trigger major political limbo — and that chaos is where Russia thrives.

What are the problems?

While Ukraine remains under martial law, there is no regulatory framework for elections. Zelensky has said he would ask for changes to the law, but practical and logistical challenges would remain.

With more than 5.9 million refugees abroad, according to the United Nations, and 4.4 million people displaced within the country, according to the government, updating and verifying voter registrations would be a huge task.

The war has also taken a heavy toll on election infrastructure. Only 75% of Ukraine’s polling stations are currently operational, according to the deputy head of Ukraine’s electoral commission, Serhiy Dubovyk, who spoke to CNN before Zelensky’s latest comments.

Nearly 1 million Ukrainians are serving in the military, many on the front lines, and it’s hard to see how they would be able to vote without a guaranteed stop to the fighting.

Dubovyk said meeting international standards for a fair and free election in Ukraine would require six months’ preparation. If polls are held sooner, “it is impossible to fully guarantee compliance with all international standards,” he said.

What do Ukrainians think?

Ukrainians interviewed by Reuters after the president’s comments were pretty unanimous: Focus on the war, not elections.

“People in the trenches would somehow have to vote — will ballot boxes be delivered to them in the trenches?” said Roman, a 61-year-old pensioner identified only by his first name. “It seems to me that we need to finish the war first, and only then hold elections.”

A 25-year-old bookshop employee named Lana said Trump’s views weren’t relevant.

“We even have it stipulated that during martial law, which has been declared in our country, elections are not held,” she said. “I support holding elections at the end of martial law, after our victory, as it should be.”

Are elections even possible?

It’s hard to see how they could happen. Parts of Ukraine are still under occupation. Every day, drones, cruise and ballistic missiles slam into cities and towns, causing death and devastation.

Ukraine’s capital and other major cities are regularly plunged into prolonged and persistent blackouts as electricity and gas infrastructure is targeted, and the Russian military is still trying to capture territory in the east.

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