Ukraine will hold simultaneous presidential elections and a referendum on a peace deal in the Spring to lend legitimacy to the U.S.-brokered settlement, a report claims.
The Ukrainian government is working with European states to hold wartime elections in Spring 2026, Britain’s Financial Times claims, citing “Ukrainian and European officials involved in the planning”. Per the report, the United States has made Ukraine the holding of now years-overdue national elections to confirm President Volodymyr Zelensky’s mandate as a requirement for American security guarantees for the country to be activated.
The proposed referendum would likely be used to overcome the longstanding Ukrainian objection to the ‘peace’ deal on the table, which would trade a cessation of fighting for permanent Russian control of the eastern fifth of the country. President Zelensky has long argued that he couldn’t unilaterally agree to surrendering Ukrainian territory as it is unconstitutional, a barrier that could be overcome with a referendum.
The report states President Zelensky’s camp is briefing that the United States wants the war resolved with a lasting peace agreement by the beginning of summer because of the approaching mid-term elections, although this hasn’t been otherwise confirmed. President Zelensky is allegedly to announce the forthcoming election on February 24th, and the votes are said to be planned to take place before a claimed May 15th deadline imposed by Washington.
The facts of the claims are currently unclear and have already been challenged by Ukraine. The Daily Telegraph cites a source close to President Zelensky, who is said to have turned the process on its head. Far from the elections being a price of Ukraine having a signed agreement on long-term Western security guarantees, they said the guarantees would be needed before any election could take place.
It is reported that the Zelensky ally said, “As long as there is no security, there will be no announcements”.
Indeed, it has long been Kyiv’s position that elections can’t and shouldn’t go ahead while the war rages on, because it’s against the Ukrainian constitution to hold votes during wartime, and because the fighting would make holding a free and fair election difficult. As well as the enormous displacement of millions of Ukrainians — either under arms or abroad as refugees — and that a full fifth of the country is under the occupation of the Russian Federation, some previously democratically-elected, pro-Russian or anti-war opposition parties are outright banned.
A change in the presidency also wouldn’t change the composition of Ukraine’s Parliament, since no fresh parliamentary elections are planned, and President Zelensky controls the largest party.
Nevertheless, those who might hope to stand against Zelensky should an election be called may also be concerned about the chances of mounting a successful campaign against a wartime leader. During martial law, one of Zelensky’s main domestic rivals, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko, warned in remarks to The Financial Times that holding an election could undermine national unity. He said: “Political competition during the war is bad… We can destroy the country from inside… [which is] Russia’s goal.”
The Times reports that a “working group” within the Ukrainian government is working to determine how to hold an election under martial law and ensure it meets European Union standards. Because many Ukrainians live abroad, Kyiv would likely have to ask host countries to set up polling stations in their own countries so Ukrainian refugees can vote where they are.
Kyiv is reportedly concerned about Russian influence in those European countries and is expected to ask the intelligence agencies of its foreign allies to be involved in the process to keep Russians out.
U.S. President Trump has been pressuring Zelensky to renew his democratic mandate for almost a year, having told the Ukrainian leader in February 2025 that if they “want a seat at the table” in eventual peace talks, elections would be necessary. Then, in December 2025, President Trump added, ” I think it’s time. I think it’s an important time to hold an election… They’re using war not to hold an election, but, I would think the Ukrainian people would–should have that choice.
“And maybe Zelensky would win. I don’t know who would win, but they haven’t had an election in a long time. You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore”.
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