Zelenskyy: Ukrainians do not want elections at all

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich. Photo: REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukrainians do not want elections to be held now, as this could lead to the occupation of the territory.

He said this on 15 February, during a speech at the Munich Security Conference.

He stressed that elections could lead to instability, which would jeopardise the unity of the country and its mobilisation to fight the aggressor.

«I am focusing on surviving, on the country surviving. And I am really doing everything I can. Half of my presidential term was spent during the pandemic, and the other half was spent in the war with Putin. Or in the fight for a future without him. This is the most important thing.

I am ready to talk about elections if you want. Ukrainians do not want this. They do not want it at all, because they are afraid. Otherwise, we will lose wartime, the soldiers will return home, and Putin will seize all our territory,» he said.

He also noted that the country needs unity now, and if someone is not satisfied with this approach, they can change their citizenship.

«This will happen because we are now mobilised, we are now one organism, we are one country. That is why it is very important to preserve it. We need unity within the country. So, it's not about me, it's about the future of our country. It's about today. The question is really how to survive, how to save Ukraine, our independence, our people, our homes. And if someone doesn't like it, they can choose another citizenship if they want,» Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.

Elections during the war

As you know, 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. He also said that he does not yet know whether he will run in the next election. According to him, everything will depend on the development of the situation in the country and the end of the war.

However, US Presidential Special Envoy for the Russian-Ukrainian War Keith Kellogg said that Ukraine should be ready to hold elections, as it is «a sign of a healthy democracy».

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klychko also suggested that the fighting could end in two to three months, but that political processes in the country have already been launched. He says that «everyone is already running somewhere, everyone is talking about some kind of elections, and at this time our heroes are dying».

At the same time, the head of the Mykolaiv regional military administration, Vitalii Kim, believes that elections are not needed during the war, but he does not rule out running for office if they are held.

Earlier, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Vitalii Kim, expressed the opinion that elections could take place in the event of a truce and the end of martial law in Ukraine this year.

At the same time, he is wary of the possible establishment of military rule in Ukraine.