Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has given the signal to the team to start preparing for national elections after a full ceasefire is achieved. The Economist , citing Ukrainian government sources. If the situation on the front allows, the elections could be held as early as July 2025.
According to sources, last week the president convened a special meeting, during which he gave a clear instruction to begin organizational work. The first signal about the possible holding of elections may be the decision of the parliament on May 5 - that is when the Verkhovna Rada is to decide on the further fate of martial law, which expires on May 8.
If it is repealed, a legal opportunity will open up to begin the electoral process, as the Constitution currently prohibits holding elections during martial law.
By law, the election campaign must last at least 60 days, so the earliest possible voting day is early July. However, some sources indicate that it may take at least three months to fully organize the elections, including updating the voter lists.
Government sources also hint at a political motivation – a quick start to the campaign would allow Zelensky to capitalize on his current ratings and not give his opponents enough time to prepare. One senior official, quoted by The Economist , bluntly says that a prolonged election campaign under the current conditions would “tear the country apart.” In his opinion, early elections mean stability.
Information about a possible ceasefire also appeared in a Bloomberg : according to them, the US is considering a scenario of stopping hostilities by Easter, which this year falls on April 20.
Interestingly, against the backdrop of these discussions, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed on the night of March 27-28 to introduce “interim administration under the auspices of the UN” in Ukraine to hold elections. This statement caused a sharp reaction in the West. The White House emphasized that only the Constitution of Ukraine and its citizens have the right to determine when and how the elections will be held, so the Kremlin’s proposal was rejected.
There is currently no official announcement of upcoming elections, but political activity around the topic is growing. Ukraine could be on the verge of a new political phase as early as this summer — if, of course, the war at least temporarily stops.
