Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, stated on Tuesday that he is prepared to organize elections in the war-torn nation as long as he is protected from Russian threats. Zelensky's comments coincide with the ongoing push from US President Donald Trump to hold elections.
Although the Ukrainian president's term had already ended in May 2024, he had stated that elections would not take place until a ceasefire to resolve the conflict with Russia was announced.
Trump recently stated, "I think it's an important time to hold an election," in an interview with Politico. When asked about elections in Ukraine, he said, "They're using war not to hold an election, but, uh, I would think the Ukrainian people would ... should have that choice."Zelensky said on Tuesday that he is prepared to hold elections in response to Trump's criticism, but he insisted that security be provided for voting because of ongoing Russian drone and missile threats.
Notably, Vladimir Putin won a resounding victory in the 2024 Russian elections with no real opposition. Thus, the question of why Ukraine isn't holding elections still needs to be answered. Even though Zelensky's tenure has ended, how can he continue to lead the nation?
Why elections haven't been held in Ukraine yet
In other words, elections cannot be held in Ukraine while martial law is in place, according to the country's constitution.Elections were supposed to take place in Ukraine in May 2024, but following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, martial law was imposed. Presidential decrees have been used to prolong it by ninety days ever since it was put into effect.
The Ukrainian constitution's Article 83 provides a detailed explanation of the dilemma. It states that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (the Ukrainian Parliament) will remain in power until the day of its first session following the termination of martial law.

This is what it states: "If the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine's term of authority expires while martial law or a state of emergency is in effect, its authority is extended until the day of the first meeting of the first session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, elected after the cancellation of martial law or of the state of emergency."
According to Article 157 of the constitution, adjustments to the constitution must be made if elections are to take place while martial law is in effect. "The Constitution of Ukraine shall not be amended in conditions of martial law or a state of emergency," it states.

Voting during the conflict might be exceedingly risky for citizens due to Russia's ongoing missile and drone attacks, in addition to the fact that it would be against the constitution. However, because they would have to be on the front lines, it would be challenging for soldiers to vote.
What lately did Zelensky say about elections?
On Tuesday, the president of Ukraine told reporters that if the parliament and Ukraine's foreign allies approved, he was prepared to organize general elections in the nation within the next three months.
According to AFP, he stated that he was requesting that legislators draft "proposals regarding the possibility of amending the legislative foundations and the law on elections during martial law."