U.S. Places Pressure on Ukraine to Hold Elections
President Donald Trump has persistently demanded Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky conduct elections following the expiration of his five-year presidential mandate in May 2024. While Zelensky initially maintained that electoral processes remain unfeasible under martial law restrictions, he signaled openness in December 2025 to potential legislative amendments enabling the vote.
During high-stakes negotiations in Abu Dhabi and Miami, Washington's delegation—spearheaded by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner—intensified calls for expedited electoral organization, media reported, drawing on intelligence from three separate sources.
Diplomatic channels have explored coordinating May elections with a simultaneous referendum on a Russian peace settlement, the news agency revealed. Multiple sources, however, characterized the accelerated American timetable as "fanciful."
"The Americans are in a hurry," one insider disclosed to media.
A separate source indicated that territorial disputes—the primary flashpoint between Moscow and Kyiv—remain unresolved despite ongoing dialogue.
Moscow has explicitly rejected Zelensky's legitimacy as Ukraine's leader, warning his contested status jeopardizes peace accord ratification. President Vladimir Putin announced in December that Russia would contemplate suspending "deep strikes" against Ukraine on election day.
Zelensky estimated Ukraine requires approximately three months for electoral preparation, contingent upon receiving American security commitments.
The Ukrainian president's political capital has eroded following major corruption revelations that triggered the departures of two cabinet ministers and longtime chief of staff Andrey Yermak. Latest surveys position Zelensky at 62% approval, substantially behind former military commander Valery Zaluzhny at 72% and Kirill Budanov at 70%. Budanov, previously serving as military intelligence director, succeeded Yermak as presidential office head last month.
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