Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies could ensure the security of the vote.
Wartime elections are forbidden by law but Zelenskyy, whose term expired last year, is facing renewed pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to hold a vote as he pushes Kyiv to secure peace quickly in the nearly four-year-old war with Russia.
"I'm ready for elections, and moreover I ask...that the U.S. help me, maybe together with European colleagues, to ensure the security of an election," Zelenskyy said in comments to reporters.
"And then in the next 60-90 days Ukraine will be ready to hold an election."
Zelenskyy's remarks followed comments by Trump in an interview with Politico published on Tuesday suggesting Ukraine's government was using the war as an excuse to avoid elections.
"You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore," Trump said.
Zelenskyy dismissed suggestions that he was clinging to power as "totally inadequate".
Ukraine, which is pushing back on a U.S.-backed peace plan seen as Moscow-friendly, is seeking strong security guarantees from its allies that would prevent a new Russian invasion.
Zelenskyy and other officials have routinely dismissed the idea of holding elections with frequent Russian air strikes across the country, nearly a million troops at the front and millions more Ukrainians displaced.
On Tuesday, he said he would ask parliament to prepare proposals for legislation that could allow for elections during martial law.
Polls have shown that Ukrainians are against holding wartime elections but also want new faces in a political landscape largely unchanged since the last national elections in 2019.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. was talking to the right people in Iran to make a deal on Tuesday (24 March), as Pakistan's Prime Min...
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Russia launched drones and missiles overnight on Tuesday at Ukraine, killing at least three people, damaging houses and triggering fires, Ukrainian officials said.
History rarely announces its turning points in bold headlines. Some of the most consequential shifts begin quietly - on the margins, away from the glare of global attention - only to reshape the centre in time. The emerging conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan is one such development.
A British nuclear-powered submarine armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles has reportedly taken up position in the Arabian Sea, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday (21 March). The deployment gives the UK the ability to carry out long-range strikes if tensions in the Gulf escalate.
Starting a war is easy; ending one is far harder. The maxim, often attributed to Gabriel García Márquez, has held true in Ukraine. After four years of conflict, Russia has failed to achieve its strategic aims. Now the U.S. risks a similar outcome in Iran.
The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet were killed after it collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, in an incident that closed the airport, authorities and U.S. media said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. was talking to the right people in Iran to make a deal on Tuesday (24 March), as Pakistan's Prime Minister offered to host peace talks between the two countries to bring about an end to the conflict.
Trump says U.S. found “major points of agreement” with Iran and has paused strikes on Iranian power plants, but Tehran denies any direct talks or negotiations, contradicting U.S. claims - latest on Middle East conflict.
Violent clashes broke out between police and opposition protesters in Tirana on Sunday (22 March) as demonstrators were demanding the resignation of the Albanian government following corruption allegations against the deputy prime minister.
Afghan authorities say Pakistani jets entered northern Afghanistan, while Pakistan insists its actions target terrorism, highlighting continued strain after a temporary Eid ceasefire ended.
Voting has ended in Denmark’s parliamentary election, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seeking a third term after a campaign shaped by tensions with the U.S. over Greenland and mounting domestic concerns.
Eurozone private sector growth almost stalled this month, a key survey showed on Tuesday, adding to evidence that the bloc is already feeling economic fallout from the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran, with inflation rising and growth slowing.
China is raising domestic petrol and diesel prices under temporary measures to manage a sharp surge in global oil costs, aiming to support fuel suppliers while maintaining market stability during a period of heightened volatility.
Russia launched drones and missiles overnight on Tuesday at Ukraine, killing at least three people, damaging houses and triggering fires, Ukrainian officials said.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Monday (23 March) that Britain must plan for the possibility that the Iran war could continue for some time, and added that he had no "meaningful concerns" about energy supply.
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