Ukraine has taken a step toward holding national elections following public pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who earlier this month called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to allow voters to go to the polls.
On Monday, Speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk announced that he had signed an order creating a broad working group tasked with drafting a law that would allow elections to be held while the country remains under martial law.
The group will be chaired by First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Korniienko and includes representatives from all parliamentary factions and groups, members of civil society, legal experts, and officials from Ukraine’s Central Election Commission. According to Stefanchuk, the proposed legislation would be a one-time measure designed specifically for wartime elections.
Stefanchuk stated that the working group would draw on international experience to address the logistical and legal challenges posed by elections during an active conflict. These challenges include voting access for military personnel deployed on the front lines, Ukrainians living abroad, and potentially residents in territories currently under Russian control.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s five-year presidential term officially expired in May 2024. Since then, Zelensky has refused to hold elections, citing the country’s ongoing state of martial law. Martial law has now been in effect for nearly two years, allowing Zelensky to remain in office without an electoral mandate.
Critics have challenged Zelensky’s justification, pointing to historical precedents such as the United States holding presidential elections during the Civil War in 1864, as well as elections conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan during periods of active conflict and foreign occupation.
Ukraine’s Western allies had long supported Zelensky’s position, arguing that elections during wartime would be destabilizing. However, that stance shifted earlier this month when President Donald Trump publicly criticized Kiev’s refusal to hold elections, stating that Ukraine was “using war” as an excuse and warning that without elections, the country was reaching a point where “it’s not a democracy anymore.”
Zelensky has since stated that he is open to holding elections, but has insisted that Ukraine would require security guarantees from NATO before proceeding.
Russia has seized on the expiration of Zelensky’s term to question his legitimacy, with Moscow arguing that Ukraine’s constitution does not prohibit presidential elections during martial law, only parliamentary elections. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously stated that, under this interpretation, the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament would be the only legitimate authority in the country.
Many analysts believe Trump’s call for elections is intended to weaken Zelensky politically and potentially open the door for a leadership change in Kiev, possibly installing a figure the Trump administration views as more willing to negotiate an end to the war.