“I am always ready”: Zelensky responds to Trump on the election
9 December 22:03
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready to hold presidential elections in Ukraine. The comment was made in a conversation with journalists during his visit to Rome. This was reported by La Repubblica, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
What Zelensky said
In a commentary to the Italian edition of La Repubblica, Zelensky was asked if he was ready for the elections. The answer was short but revealing:
“I am always ready.”
The president also emphasized that he counts on the support of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with whom Kyiv actively cooperates on aid and defense issues.
Why this topic is relevant again
Zelenskyy’s comments came amid a new wave of statements from Western leaders, including US President Donald Trump. In an interview with Politico, he said that Ukraine “has to hold elections,” accusing Ukrainian officials of using the war as an excuse to postpone them, and even questioned the country’s democracy.
Such statements provoked a reaction from the European Commission: its spokesperson Anitta Hipper emphasized that elections in Ukraine are possible only when security conditions allow, as Russia continues to wage a full-scale war.
What is known about the US peace plan
The day before, the media published an initial version of the US peace plan to resolve the war. One of the points of the document provides for the holding of elections in Ukraine 100 days after the end of hostilities, a provision that raised questions about political guarantees and the realism of such deadlines.
How the Kremlin is using the topic of elections
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin refuses to recognize the Ukrainian government, citing Zelenskyy’s “illegitimacy” as a reason to use the pause in the elections as a tool of political pressure. This is in line with the Kremlin’s long-standing policy of undermining trust in Ukrainian institutions.
