e question of elections “is for the people of Ukraine, not people from other states, with all due respect to our partners.” He said he would explore avenues for holding a vote in the coming months and appealed for assistance from the United States and European partners to ensure the security of the elections. “Since this question is raised today by the president of the United States of America, our partners, I will answer very briefly: look, I am ready for elections,” Zelenskyy said. “Possibly together with European colleagues, to ensure security for the elections, and then in the next 60 to 90 days Ukraine will be ready to hold the elections. I personally have the will and readiness for this.” Trump had criticized Zelenskyy in a recent interview with Politico , questioning the state of Ukrainian democracy. “They haven’t had an election in a long time. You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy any more,” Trump said. Zelenskyy’s five-year term officially expired in May last year. However, the Ukrainian constitution prohibits holding elections during wartime. Even opposition lawmakers have stressed that organizing elections amid ongoing conflict could harm the country’s security. “It would only cause harm,” said Serhiy Rakhmanin, an MP from the opposition Holos party. “He’s the commander-in-chief, and the country is in a position where we don’t have that luxury. It would only help the enemy.” Zelenskyy outlined two major challenges to holding elections during the war: logistical hurdles in allowing soldiers, displaced citizens, and residents under occupation to vote, and legal constraints due to martial law. He said he is seeking guidance from allies on securing the elections and from parliament on potential legal amendments. The president made his remarks while returning to Ukraine after a diplomatic tour of European capitals. During the trip, Kyiv also expressed readiness to negotiate a peace deal with the U.S. and agreed to consider an energy ceasefire if Russia consents. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., recently suggested Zelenskyy was prolonging the conflict to maintain power, prompting a mixed response from his father. Meanwhile, the U.S. has signaled that Ukraine may need to make territorial concessions in the Donbas region to achieve peace, a proposal that remains unpopular in Kyiv and with no indication of Russian agreement.