Zelensky says he first read about his plans for elections by May in Financial Times report

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told journalists that he heard about his intention to announce a presidential election and a referendum on a peace deal with Russia on 24 February “for the first time” when it was reported by the Financial Times (FT) on Wednesday.

“This is the first time I’ve heard about the intention to announce on the 24th. I probably heard it for the first time from the Financial Times. Now I’m hearing it for the second time from you,” Zelensky said when asked about the report by a journalist, Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported on Wednesday.

“Secondly, I have spoken many times about the elections, we will proceed with the elections when we receive reliable security guarantees,” he added.

The FT, citing multiple unnamed Ukrainian and Western officials familiar with the matter, reported on Wednesday that Zelensky had come under “intense pressure” to hold both votes by mid-May from the Trump administration, which had indicated that its guarantees were contingent on Kyiv agreeing to a peace deal this spring “that would probably involve ceding the Donbas region to Russia”.

The plan was also contingent on whether Zelensky could secure a “peace deal that he believes is fair and tolerable to Ukrainians”, the FT stressed.

The logistics of holding a presidential election in Ukraine at such short notice were always likely to prove extremely challenging, however, as the country’s constitution does not allow the holding of elections under martial law — which was declared in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 — and so would require passing a constitutional amendment.