VOLODYMR Zelensky has said Ukraine is “ready for elections” after Donald Trump’s explosive claim that Kyiv was using the war to stop the public going to the polls.
Zelensky’s premiership was due to end in May 2024, but the Ukraine leader has said that wheels are in motion to hold elections in the next 60 to 90 days.
This revelation comes after Trump suggested that Kyiv was subverting democracy for its own gain.
“They’re using the war as an excuse not to hold an election,” he said.
“But they haven’t had an election in a long time. They talk about a democracy, but at some point, it ceases to be one.”
Ukrainian law does not currently allow for elections to be held until martial law, but Zelensky said they could take place provided there were suitable security guarantees in place.
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“I’m asking now, and I’m stating this openly, for the US to help me, perhaps together with our European colleagues, to ensure security for the election,” Zelensky told reporters.
“I’ve heard hints that we’re clinging to power, or that I personally am clinging to the presidency.”
He went on to label this “frankly, a completely unreasonable narrative”.
This follows Trump’s festive ultimatum to Zelensky that he has until Christmas to accept the peace deal with Russia or face the consequences.
The US President’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, delivered this stark warning to the Ukrainian leader after crunch talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Trump claimed that Ukraine would not be able to withstand further bombardment unless an agreement is signed.
He also took aim at European leaders, labelling them “weak” for failing to end the conflict.
The White House boss also accused them of presiding over a “decaying” continent, ravaged by a radical left-wing political agenda and high levels of illegal migration.
In response to this, Peter Kyle – Britain’s Trade Secretary – accused Trump of “having a bee in his bonnet”.
The Labour Cabinet minister suggested that the President “sees the world differently from his predecessors, that is not new”.
Ukrainian officials revealed that Washington was ramping up the pressure on Kyiv to give up territory in exchange for undefined security guarantees.
Taking to social media on Tuesday night, Zelensky said Ukraine was working “very actively” with its European allies to formulate a proposal to end the war.
In an interview with Politico, Trump said: “Russia has the upper hand, and they always did.
“They’re much bigger. They’re much stronger in that sense.
“I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the bravery and for the fighting and all of that.
“But you know, at some point, size will win, generally.
“And this is a massive size, when you take a look at the numbers, I mean, the numbers are just crazy.”
When asked what would happen if Ukraine rejected the latest US peace proposals, the President said: “Well, he’s going to have to get on the ball and start accepting things.”
On Sunday, Trump accused Zelensky of not having read the latest version of the text.
The President added that he viewed Zelensky as the main obstacle to securing a peace deal.
Trump said: “Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelensky’s fine with it.
“His people love it, but he hasn’t read it.”
In contrast, European officials believe that Ukraine is being forced into an impossible decision between accepting unreasonable territorial concessions and losing America as a key ally.
“The Ukrainian and European components have already been worked out in more detail, and we are ready to present them to our partners in America,” Zelensky wrote online on Tuesday.
“Together with the American side, we expect to make the possible steps as effective and as quickly as possible.”
Ukraine reportedly believes it has not been offered enough detail about any potential security guarantees from Washington to make an informed decision over territory.
Kyiv has asked a firm commitment – similar to the Nato’s Article 5 – that would require the US to come to its aid if Russia were to invade again.
Instead of a presidential executive order, Ukraine is seeking an agreement that can be rubberstamped by the Senate so that future American leaders cannot ignore it.
Ukraine also wants its European allies to commit to future financial donations, as well as weaponry, to support the country’s defence industry.
On Monday, Zelensky travelled to Downing Street to meet Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Germany on Monday, who rallied around him in the face of Trump’s shaky-looking support.
The Coalition of the Willing continue to provide support to Ukraine throughout its conflict with Russia.