Zelensky leaves the elections in the hands of his international partners: “Security is needed”

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has left the possible holding of elections in the hands of his international partners since they are the only ones capable of putting pressure on Russia to guarantee minimum security conditions.

Zelensky has stressed that “security comes first” beyond the mechanisms of the legislative elections that are being prepared to be able to hold elections in a situation like the current one, in which some territories are under the control of Russian forces. “Security is needed,” he stressed.

“The partners have enough power to force Russia to agree on adequate security measures and a secure infrastructure for holding the Ukrainian presidential elections or a referendum, Zelensky said this Friday in statements to the press, according to the Ukrinform agency.

Zelensky has also recalled that the proposal to hold elections in the middle of the war was made by the United States, which he has insisted requires not only political will, but also security measures.

Regarding security guarantees, Zelensky has highlighted that talks with the United States and Europe have made considerable progress recently. “It is practically ready,” he assured in relation to the possible signing of an agreement with Washington, but also a three-way agreement with European countries.

Likewise, he explained that one of the twenty points of the draft peace plan addresses the possibility of holding a referendum in the event that sensitive questions arise that cannot be answered by a single person, including the head of state. “There are questions that only the people of Ukraine can answer,” he said.

“It is fair that the fate of Ukraine is decided by the Ukrainian people and it is the right thing to do,” said Zelensky, who explained that they have not received a response from Russia to the new draft, although he trusts that it will be the United States that will convey Moscow’s opinion to him at the meeting they have this Sunday in Florida.

This week, his main advisor, Mijailo Podoliak, pointed out that the Ukrainian side does not have the necessary budgetary capacity to bear the costs of calling elections at a time like the current one.

Some statements to which the Kremlin responded this Friday with a certain irony, stating that the “tricks” that Ukraine has been using in recent years to “get money from the West” are known.

“It is common practice,” said Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov, who has chosen not to assess who should finance what. “So far, we have not heard any statement from kyiv in this regard,” he concluded.

According to Ukrainian legislation, President Zelensky should have called elections in May 2024. However, martial law and the general mobilization decreed following the Russian invasion two years ago have prevented this.

The issue became a regular topic of this war after the president of the United States, Donald Trump, in the first meeting he had with Zelensky after returning to the White House, stressed this issue, not only insulting him for not calling them but even calling him a dictator.