Zelenskyy to discuss possible elections in Ukraine with Bundestag speaker

“Bundestag President Julia Klöckner will receive Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks. One of the topics of the meeting will be the issue of new elections in Ukraine — the president has stated his openness to this under certain conditions,” the press office said.

Zelenskyy’s visit to Germany will also include talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and joint participation in the 8th German-Ukrainian Business Forum.

Earlier, Bild reported that Zelenskyy was planning to travel to Berlin on Dec. 15. While German government officials had yet to confirm the visit, journalists noted that heightened security measures in the government quarter and airspace restrictions over Berlin suggested preparations were underway.

In addition, Merz has announced potential talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Berlin regarding a peace plan for Ukraine. According to Merz, he and the leaders of France and the United Kingdom have proposed that the White House finalize the peace plan in the coming days.

On Dec. 10, during his nightly video address, Zelenskyy commented on the prospect of elections during wartime, saying he had discussed the issue in detail with members of Ukraine’s parliament.

“I won’t allow any speculation against Ukraine if our partners — including our key partner in Washington — are talking so frequently and specifically about elections in Ukraine under martial law. We must give legally sound Ukrainian answers to every question and every doubt. It’s not easy, but we definitely don’t need pressure on this issue. I expect members of parliament to propose their vision. The security challenges depend on our partners, on America above all. Political and legal challenges must be addressed by Ukraine — and they will be,” Zelenskyy said.

On Dec. 11, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Korniyenko said there were currently no legislative initiatives in parliament to conduct elections during wartime.

In a Politico interview published Dec. 9, Trump again called on Ukraine to hold presidential elections, saying he would not rule out Zelenskyy winning them.

The U.S. president said he believed “they’re using the war as an excuse not to have elections, but I think the Ukrainian people should have a choice.”