Kyiv rejects US proposal for elections amid ongoing war with Russia
Ukrainian Presidential Communications Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn publicly opposed a call made by U.S. Special Representative Keith Kellogg for holding elections in Ukraine by the end of the year. The Ukrainian official shared his remarks on social media platform X .
This comes after Reuters published excerpts of an interview with Kellogg, who urged that parliamentary and presidential elections in Ukraine take place by the end of 2025.
"We have not seen Mr. Kellogg's full interview, only a few quotes about the elections, making it difficult to fully assess his position. However, if his plan solely involves a ceasefire and elections, it is a failing plan—Putin will not be intimidated by just these two measures," Lytvyn wrote.
"Moscow continues to increase production of missiles and ammunition, find new ways to bypass sanctions, and earn profits from oil. Obviously, all this weaponry isn't being made to respect democratic neighbors. Russia's military alliance with North Korea certainly isn’t about respecting ceasefires. Therefore, we would undoubtedly prefer to see a more profound approach from leading partners' officials," added the advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The next Ukrainian presidential elections were scheduled for March 31, 2024. However, the Verkhovna Rada did not announce them since the country is under martial law. While Ukraine's Constitution does not explicitly prohibit presidential elections under martial law—unlike elections for the Verkhovna Rada—such a ban exists based on the "Martial Law's Legal Regime" law.
In a February 2 interview with Vesti FM, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Zelensky as "a former head of state." At the end of January, he stated Russia would not sign a peace agreement with Zelensky, claiming Zelensky "lacks legitimacy to sign anything." Previously, Putin expressed his belief that the Ukrainian president couldn't remain in office due to the untimely elections.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha commented on these remarks on February 2. "Putin’s comments about the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president are absurd. Over a quarter-century in the Kremlin, we've seen three honest presidential transitions in Ukraine; President Trump returned for a second term after an impressive victory. This is democracy and legitimacy," Sybiha tweeted.
"Putin has usurped power by destroying the Russian constitution, killing or imprisoning opponents, dismantling free media, organizing sham voting for himself, and staying in power longer than Stalin. Now he lectures the world on legitimacy," added Sybiha.
"Putin's statements are deceitful, aiming to mislead foreign leaders and audiences. Only fools could believe them. If anyone’s legitimacy is questionable, it’s that of the Moscow dictator, who turns 20-year-old men into cannon fodder—men born when he was already in power," the minister concluded.