Zelensky Says Ukraine Could Hold Election During 60-Day Truce, Rejects Trump’s Leadership Call
Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainians must choose their president and offers elections if Russia accepts a 60-day ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine needs different leadership, while signalling that a presidential election could be organised if Russia first agrees to a two-month halt in fighting.
Zelensky made the comments during an ABC News interview broadcast on Sunday. He said the decision over who leads Ukraine belongs to Ukrainian voters, responding to Trump’s call a day earlier for another leader who could bring the war to an end.
The Ukrainian president linked any new election to security conditions. He said his government had communicated to Trump’s team that a complete 60-day ceasefire from Russia would provide the period needed to organise voting. Ukraine has not held a presidential election since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The exchange followed a renewed disagreement between Washington and Kyiv over energy and the war. On Friday, Trump announced a temporary relaxation of sanctions covering a substantial quantity of Russian diesel, saying the move was intended to reduce fuel costs before the United States midterm elections in November.
Trump then criticised Zelensky on Saturday over Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian oil refineries. He argued that the strikes had contributed to higher diesel prices and said Ukraine should be led by someone prepared to reach a settlement in the conflict.
The sanctions decision prompted criticism from Ukraine and several European allies of the United States, while the source also reported opposition from some members of Trump’s Republican Party. Zelensky nevertheless stressed the importance of maintaining cooperation between Washington, European governments and Kyiv as the war continues.
He said Ukraine remains dependent on American support while also relying on its European partners, and expressed concern that the latest dispute should not damage coordination among those countries.
Zelensky also indicated that Kyiv would accept a ceasefire covering energy facilities alone if Moscow agreed to the same arrangement. His comments came after what he described as a particularly difficult week marked by major Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
According to Zelensky, the intensity of those strikes showed that Moscow was not facing enough pressure to bring the conflict to an end. His proposal therefore combines willingness to return to the ballot box with the condition that a temporary halt to hostilities first creates a secure environment for an election.