"First, a just peace; then, fair elections," said Zelensky.

Ukraine cannot hold elections until the war against Russia is over.

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky on November 19 in the Verkhovna Rada while presenting the "Plan for Internal Resilience."

"We all know that the Constitution of Ukraine and the law do not allow elections to be held during wartime. And no one in the world has demanded or demands this from Ukraine. However, there are some people in Ukraine who may be so eager for this that they want to fight within our state more than for the sake of our state, seeking political disputes in the trenches just like in television studios. This is detrimental to Ukraine. Ukraine first needs a just peace, and then Ukrainians will hold fair elections," said the head of state.

The powers of the President of Ukraine and the current convocation of the Verkhovna Rada were set to end in 2024 – five years after the presidential and parliamentary elections, respectively. However, current Ukrainian legislation does not provide for the holding of elections during martial law, which means that both Volodymyr Zelensky and the Verkhovna Rada continue to exercise their powers.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that Zelensky presented in the Rada the "Resilience Plan." It consists of 10 points and addresses issues of unity, human capital, and cultural sovereignty.