Zelenskyy readies war time election, peace deal referendum
Zelenskyy views 2026 as favorable for his reelection prospects (Photo: REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov)
Ukraine is preparing to hold a presidential election alongside a national referendum on a potential peace agreement with Russia this spring, under pressure from Washington to organize the vote by May 15, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 10, citing Ukrainian and European officials.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to announce the plan on Feb. 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
This comes as the White House is pushing Kyiv to conclude peace negotiations with Moscow and hold elections by mid-May, or else risk losing U.S. security guarantees. The reported deadline is tied to the U.S. midterm elections later this year.
People close to Zelenskyy told the FT that his team is ready to meet the tight timeline despite significant logistical challenges. Holding the referendum on the same day as the presidential vote could help boost turnout, they said, and the president views this year as favorable for his reelection prospects.
However, Ukrainian and Western officials cautioned that the May 15 deadline may be unrealistic because it depends on progress in the peace talks. The timeline could slip if no agreement is reached on disputed issues such as the Donbas region or the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, or if Russia continues strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and power grid.
Organizing elections during wartime poses major hurdles. Millions of Ukrainians remain displaced abroad, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers are deployed on the frontlines, raising concerns about turnout and legitimacy. A Western official told the paper that at least half of prewar registered voters would need to participate for the results to be widely recognized.
Ukraine’s parliament is expected to draft legal changes in March and April to allow voting under martial law. In recent months, lawmakers have begun preparations, including restoring the State Register of Voters.
Zelenskyy said in January that legislative work on elections and referendums could begin as early as February, depending on the course of peace negotiations.
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