Zelenskyy: «Elections are important, but they can be held only after martial law is lifted»

Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Screenshot from the video.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that elections in Ukraine are very important, but they can be held only after the hot phase of the war is over and martial law is lifted.

President Zelenskyy said this in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.

He noted that the challenge to holding the vote is the «human factor». It is unclear how people abroad and in the occupied territories, as well as the military in the field, will vote. Therefore, it is impossible to hold elections until the hot phase of the war is over and martial law is lifted.

«There are very human things. How will the military vote? How can they vote in the trenches? How will our people in the occupied territories vote? These are millions of people. Do their votes no longer matter? And what about the 8 million Ukrainians who are abroad because of the war? Of course, the war will end, the hot phase of the war will end, and when martial law ends, elections will be announced. It is necessary. We are defending democracy and this is necessary,» he said.

However, Volodymyr Zelenskyy added that after martial law is lifted, most of the Ukrainian army will return home, as this is the legal right of these people.

«But who will then defend Ukraine? Without security guarantees, Russia will invade again», he added.

As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was ready to sit down with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for peace, despite his hostile attitude.