Mr. Trump emphasized that Ukraine must hold elections before negotiations can take place.
The presidential election in Ukraine was scheduled to take place in March 2024 but was canceled due to martial law.
According to TASS, US President Donald Trump stressed that Kiev must hold presidential elections if it wants to sit at the negotiating table to resolve the Ukraine conflict, while pointing out that President Volodymyr Zelensky's popularity is very low.
"We have a situation where we haven't had an election in Ukraine, which is under martial law. The leader of Ukraine — I don't want to say this — but his approval rating is down to 4%. Cities are destroyed, buildings are in ruins, it looks like a bulldozed construction site," Trump told reporters after signing several new executive orders at Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
"I think that when they want a seat at the table, the Ukrainian people have a right to speak. They haven't had an election in a long time. This is not a Russian issue, but something that I and many other countries are also raising," the US President emphasized.
Ukraine’s presidential election was scheduled for March 2024 but was canceled due to martial law. Some experts believe that the president’s term cannot be extended during martial law, unlike the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada), which can extend its mandate. Although Mr. Zelensky’s official term ends on May 20, 2024, he has said that his legitimacy is not in question.
According to TASS, Ukrainian media has frequently speculated about the possibility of preparing for a presidential campaign, but there has been no official confirmation. Meanwhile, public opinion polls show that military-minded figures such as Valery Zaluzhny and Kirill Budanov are receiving more trust from Ukrainians than Mr. Zelensky. Some Ukrainian analysts also see them as potential candidates in case the presidential election is held.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed that Russia needs to know who can sign legal documents in Kiev, now that Mr Zelensky is no longer the legitimate leader. Given that the current government is considered illegitimate, any agreements signed with them would be considered null and void.