Zelenskyy on US election push: 'Once Kellogg visits, he will understand everything'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
If Keith Kellogg, the US presidential envoy for Ukraine, visits the country, he will realize how irrelevant the issue of presidential elections is at this time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with The Guardian.
According to Zelenskyy, the push for elections did not come as a surprise. However, he noted that everyone who visits Ukraine changes their stance on the issue.
"It is important that Kellogg comes to Ukraine. Then, he will understand the people and the circumstances and see Ukrainians’ attitude toward elections. This is not just a matter of legislation or the Constitution," Zelenskyy stated.
"I believe he should ask people directly, and he will hear that they do not understand how elections could be held during the war. This is a matter of security, fairness for our soldiers, and the situation of people in temporarily occupied territories," he added.
Zelenskyy stressed that millions of Ukrainians would be unable to vote, including those in Russian-occupied territories and eight million refugees abroad. Holding elections under such conditions could send a dangerous signal that Ukraine has abandoned these citizens.
At the same time, Kyiv does not intend to wait decades to resolve every issue before elections, but it also cannot rush the process.
"Secondly, we must listen to the people. They choose their leaders — it is an internal matter. With all due respect to the United States, no one can simply say, 'I want elections in Ukraine.' This is a sovereign right of Ukraine and its citizens. I want people to see everything with their own eyes. I think that once Kellogg visits, he will understand everything," Zelenskyy said.
Will Zelenskyy run for a second term
When asked about his re-election plans, Zelenskyy said he does not yet know whether he will run for a second term. Amid the full-scale war, he considers the question rhetorical at this stage.
Ukraine’s Presidential Election
Recently, Kellogg stated that the US wants elections in Ukraine if a ceasefire with Russia is reached. Dmytro Lytvyn, a communications advisor to the Ukrainian president, dismissed the plan as doomed to fail.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, said that Washington has not formally discussed elections with Kyiv, but Ukraine is prepared for the conversation.
