Trumpโs remarks followed phone calls with the leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, in which he said the issue of Ukraine was discussed “in pretty strong terms.”
US President Donald Trump has yet again hit out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urging him to adopt a more “realistic” stance as the war with Russia drags on. In a series of public statements, Trump questioned when Ukraine would hold its next elections, raising concerns about the countryโs democratic process during wartime.
Trumpโs remarks followed phone calls with the leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, in which he said the issue of Ukraine was discussed “in pretty strong terms.” The European leaders are reportedly seeking a joint meeting with the US and Ukraine as early as this weekend to discuss the situation further.
“They would like to have a meeting this weekend with both of us,” Trump told reporters, signaling a potential shift in international discussions on the conflict.
Zelenskyy responds firmly to criticism
Trumpโs calls for Ukraine to reconsider its war strategy and hold elections sooner rather than later have sparked a firm response from Kyiv.
Speaking in an interview with Politico, Trump accused Zelenskyy of “clinging on to power” and raised doubts about Ukraine’s democratic status. โThey havenโt had an election in a long time. You know, they talk about democracy, but it gets to a point where itโs not a democracy anymore,โ he said.
Zelenskyy pushed back, stating that the decision to hold elections is up to Ukraine and its people, not foreign leaders.
“This is a question for the people of Ukraine, not people from other states, with all due respect to our partners,” he asserted. The Ukrainian president also confirmed he was ready to organize a national vote within three months if parliament and international allies agreed.
The challenges of holding elections during wartime
Zelenskyyโs five-year term technically expired in May 2024, but Ukrainian law prohibits holding elections while martial law is in effect, as it has been since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Despite calls for elections, the practical challenges of holding a safe vote in the middle of a war remain significant. Ongoing missile attacks, mass displacement of citizens, and the presence of troops on the frontlines make a national election highly impractical.