Zelenskyy says he would stand in elections if held before end of war
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that he would run in presidential elections if they are held before the end of the war.
Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Meet the Press on NBC News
Details: Asked whether he would run for president if Ukraine were able to hold elections, Zelenskyy said: "If it will be during the war – of course. It's my responsibility, because I have to defend my country from the very beginning to end of this war."
He noted that Ukraine would need six months after the war is over to prepare for elections.
Quote from Zelenskyy: "And if Trump and Putin want me to make elections – of course first it's a choice of our people, but if they really want – I said, 'Give us minimum 60 days of ceasefire without any kind of other negotiations, just 60 days, and we will try our best to change our law, we will try our best to prepare some security infrastructure.'
But trust me, it looks absolutely dangerous and unbelievable, because we need fair choice, we need that our soldiers will have possibility to vote. [...] If you think that I don't want elections, it's not true."
Background:
- On 10 October, US President Donald Trump accused Zelenskyy of being unwilling to end the war, saying it was time for Ukraine to "get a new president" who could make a deal with Russia.
- Trump's comments came after he announced an agreement with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the supply of Russian diesel fuel to US and global markets.
- Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is willing to hold elections if Russia agrees to a full ceasefire for 60 days.
- Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said in response that Russia is not prepared to observe a 60-day ceasefire for elections in Ukraine. He said Putin would only be willing to halt strikes on election day.
- On 14 October, Zelenskyy said he was confident that if Ukraine held a presidential election, the new leader would not make a deal with Putin and would continue to defend Ukraine.
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