Ukraine is planning presidential elections and a referendum on a peace treaty with Russia

Ukrainian and Western officials briefed on the details told the newspaper that Zelensky intends to announce the plan on February 24, the fourth anniversary of the full Russian invasion. The plan is in line with the American demand, as Zelensky described to reporters last Friday, to sign all the documents to end the conflict by June. The Ukrainian president explained that the White House wants to end the war in the spring in order to shift the focus to the mid-term elections in the US that will be held in November, and that the Americans demand a “clear timetable”.

According to the report, President Trump made it clear to Kiev that American security guarantees are conditional on agreeing to a broader peace agreement, which will likely include ceding the Donbas region to Russia. Zelensky, who has so far opposed territorial concessions, wants to tie his re-election to the approval of the peace agreement in a referendum to ensure the legitimacy of the move. A Western source noted that the Ukrainians hold the view that the whole move must be combined with Zelensky’s re-election.