March 6, 2025
Ukrainian opposition leaders say no elections until war is over
Two of Ukraine’s main opposition figures have dismissed the idea of holding an election before peace is secured.
Ukraine had been due to hold elections in 2024 but under Ukrainian law, an election cannot be held during wartime.
On Wednesday, Politico reported that four figures connected to US President Donald Trump had met with some of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s political opponents to float the idea of speedy elections.
The talks were reportedly held with two-time former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and senior members of the party of former president Petro Poroshenko.
In a statement on Thursday, Tymoshenko said her team “is negotiating with all our allies who are able to help ensure a just peace as soon as possible.”
“Until then, and I have said this more than once, holding any elections in Ukraine is out of the question,” she wrote.
Meanwhile, Poroshenko, who has been engaged in a long-running rivalry with Zelenskyy, also said elections should wait until there is peace.
Poroshenko said his team “has always been and remains categorically against holding elections during the war.”
“We have said, and continue to say, that elections can only take place after a ceasefire and the signing of a peace agreement with security guarantees for Ukraine,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
He added that his team works “publicly and transparently to maintain bipartisan support for Ukraine.”
