In an interview with Friedman, Zelensky stated that holding elections during wartime is impossible unless the Constitution is amended.

Conducting elections in Ukraine while the war is ongoing is virtually impossible, or the Verkhovna Rada will need to amend the legislation to make it happen.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, mentioned this in an interview with American podcaster Lex Friedman.

He reminded that due to martial law, presidential elections scheduled for spring 2024 and parliamentary elections for autumn have not taken place.

“In other words, everyone in Ukraine understands that elections cannot occur until the war ends, or the legislation must be changed. I believe that elections will take place immediately after the martial law is lifted. This is according to the law. Alternatively, parliamentarians need to convene and change the legislation, which will be very difficult to do because society is against it,” said Zelensky.

The President explained that society opposes this because it is necessary to create infrastructure for voting for 8.5 million Ukrainians who have fled abroad. Additionally, he reminded that millions of people are currently in occupied territories.

“What to do with those people? This is a complex issue. One of the most unjust situations is how to vote without a million military personnel. In other words, it's impossible,” emphasized Zelensky.

He noted that for elections during the war, the voting systems will need to be revised, particularly considering online voting, but everyone is apprehensive “due to various cyberattacks and so on.”

Zelensky also expressed a desire to hold elections in the year when the war concludes.

Background. Recall that during the interview, the president stated that he does not dismiss the idea of admitting Ukraine to NATO without occupied territories. He also mentions a strong security guarantee for Ukraine in the form of a weapons package, “which Trump is aware of.”