Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls to hold elections during wartime, warning that suspending martial law would dismantle Ukraine’s army and play into Russia’s hands. Speaking in an interview with ITV News, he stated that the election debate is being pushed by Russia, which seeks to install a puppet leader in Ukraine.
Russia pushing Ukraine elections to attempt installing a puppet government
Asked by ITV News about Russian claims that Ukraine should hold elections and that his presidency is illegitimate, Zelenskyy responded: “Who says it – Russians?” When the journalist confirmed, he stated:
“Well, first of all, I’d like to say that you’re right here – the election topic is being pushed by the Russkies, and obviously, they need their person [in power in Ukraine], just anyone who is theirs.“
He argued that Russia wants to control Ukraine institutionally, as it did in the past, preventing it from developing independently or joining the European Union. According to Zelenskyy, Moscow seeks to keep Ukraine as a “raw materials appendage” by exploiting its economy while suppressing its language and culture.
Suspending martial law would dismantle the army
Zelenskyy warned that if Ukraine suspends martial law to hold elections, it will be unable to maintain its wartime-sized army legally. He stated:
“If we suspend martial law, we will lose the army, and the Russkies will be happy – it’s a matter of combat readiness, morale, and everything else. You lose that, and legally, you can no longer maintain such an army. That’s a fact.”
He emphasized that ending or suspending martial law would result in demobilization, significantly weakening Ukraine’s defense capabilities. Even those who do not leave the frontlines would experience a loss of morale, and “Russia will undoubtedly exploit this for counteroffensive actions.”
Millions of Ukrainians would be unable to vote
Zelenskyy also pointed out that elections held under current conditions would be unfair, as millions of Ukrainians, including soldiers, refugees abroad, and citizens in Russian-occupied territories, would be unable to vote.
“And how is everyone supposed to vote? How will the military vote? Again, this is technically very difficult, and voting without them is unfair – they are the ones defending democracy.”
He stressed that ensuring voting access for eight million Ukrainian refugees abroad would require extensive infrastructure, which is currently impossible. Additionally, citizens in Russian-occupied territories would be unable to vote freely and would likely face a Russian-staged vote, similar to the 2014 Crimea “referendum,” which was illegal under Ukrainian law and conducted under coercion “at gunpoint.”
“If elections take place and those who cannot vote abroad or in temporarily occupied territories are excluded, Russia will say, ‘We don’t believe in these elections.’ I don’t care about their opinion, but they will still claim, ‘These elections were illegitimate.’ They will say it 100%,” Zelenskyy said.
He concluded that Russia seeks to exploit elections as a destabilization tool:
“That’s exactly what’s happening, exactly what the Russkies want – total destabilization in Ukraine. That’s it. That’s why I would be very cautious with this issue,” Zelenskyy said.
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