Ukraine plans presidential election and peace referendum on same day: FT reveals timeline
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: Getty Images)
Ukraine has begun planning presidential elections to be held on the same day as the referendum on a peace agreement with Russia, the Financial Times reports.
What sources say about elections
According to Ukrainian and Western officials, as well as people familiar with the situation, a step was taken amid pressure on Kyiv from White House to conclude peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in the spring.
Preparations began after the Trump administration demanded both votes be held by May 15. Otherwise, the country risks losing the US-proposed security guarantees.
Sources also say that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy intends to announce a presidential election and a referendum on February 24, on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Sources close to Zelenskyy say he and his team made it clear to the Trump-type administration that they are ready for extremely tight deadlines despite logistical difficulties of holding elections on short notice during wartime.
According to the working schedule, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) in March and April will work on introducing necessary legal changes that will allow elections to be held under martial law.
At the same time, FT writes in several more paragraphs that Ukrainian and Western officials stressed that neither timeline nor US ultimatum is likely to be met, as they depend on many factors, including the possibility of progress in peace agreement with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin.
At the same time, this plan is seen as reflecting Zelenskyy's intention to strengthen his reelection prospects while signaling to US President Donald Trump that Kyiv is not slowing progress toward a peace agreement, should one be reached.
What about guarantees
US President Donald Trump made clear to Kyiv that American security guarantees depend on the conclusion of a broader peace agreement, which likely includes the transfer of Donbas to Russia, and which Washington wants completed by May 15.
Officials warned that the Trump administration has previously set deadlines that have already passed, but Washington leaves Kyiv very little room for maneuver ahead of the US midterm elections.
