Overview
- President Zelensky said he is ready to hold presidential and parliamentary votes during the war on a 60–90 day timeline if the United States and Europe provide election security.
- Ukrainian law under martial rule currently blocks national and local elections, and Zelensky asked his party’s lawmakers to draft changes to enable wartime presidential and municipal voting.
- Russia has not agreed to a ceasefire, a condition Zelensky says is necessary for campaigning and balloting to proceed safely.
- US-driven talks on a multi-part package are advancing, with reporting describing proposed security guarantees, monitored demilitarized zones, debate over force limits, and possible use of frozen Russian assets.
- Trump’s public pressure for elections sharpened the dispute over legitimacy as European leaders held a call with him on ceasefire efforts, while the Kremlin praised the election talk yet derided any US-guarded vote as illegitimate.