Zelenskyy says he will run in wartime elections, calling it his responsibility
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part in Ukraine's presidential election if it is held under martial law, according to the president's interview with NBC News.
A journalist asked the Ukrainian president what he would do if a new presidential election were held while the war with Russia was ongoing.
Zelenskyy said he would definitely run because he is responsible for the country's fate as long as Russian aggression continues.
"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 the end of this war," Zelenskyy emphasized.
Notably, the head of state has repeatedly said he is ready to hold elections in Ukraine if Russian President Vladimir Putin meets his demand.
"Please tell Putin, give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organize elections. And, of course, we will be ready to accept any choice made by our people—the Ukrainian people," Zelenskyy said.
However, Moscow immediately rejected the Ukrainian president's demand.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed Zelenskyy did not need the 60 days he demanded to hold elections, but rather to regroup, recover, and continue the war.
Notably, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned that Russia is exploiting Ukraine's inability to hold elections during the war to prolong negotiations.
