President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is ready to hold elections, but this is only possible if there is a full ceasefire, which the United States would have to negotiate directly with Russia.

Source: a statement on the President's Office website following a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing

Quote: "And America can help with this [ensuring conditions for elections – ed.] the most. If there is a need for elections now, there must be a ceasefire – at least during the election process and during voting. This is something that must be discussed. Honestly, we think here in Ukraine that America should speak to the Russian side about this."

Details: During the online meeting with international partners, the head of state outlined his vision of future security arrangements. According to Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian side is working on a framework document that is to become the basis for Ukraine's security.

He also stressed a fundamental point: this document must not be just a political declaration, but "a legally binding" agreement. In his view, it must therefore be approved by the US Congress. Only this path will guarantee the reliability and real implementation of the arrangements.

The president also said that the day before, Ukraine had handed the US team an updated version of this framework document. It contains 20 key points which, according to Zelenskyy, can become the foundation for the entire security architecture.

"I'm waiting for feedback from America," the president said.

Separately, Zelenskyy emphasised that effective security guarantees cannot be implemented solely in a bilateral format. This process requires the involvement of Europe and all members of the Coalition of the Willing, including such Pacific partners as Japan, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Their support is critical for the resilience of the future security structure.

The president also noted that the Ukrainian and US sides had discussed an economic agreement providing for US participation in reconstruction, post-war development and the implementation of joint investment projects.

The president further stressed the importance of expanding the PURL programme. Zelenskyy thanked partners for strengthening air defence, which makes it possible to protect the energy system from Russian attacks, and once again called on allies to speed up the implementation of a mechanism for using frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine.

Background:

• In a recent interview, US President Donald Trump said that it is "time" for Ukraine to hold presidential elections.
• Zelenskyy responded that he is "always ready" for elections. He also said that international partners must ensure security during the elections.
• On 11 December Zelenskyy said that, after signals from the United States, he had asked Members of Parliament to prepare legislative changes on the possibility of holding elections under martial law.
• Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Oleksandr Korniienko said that at present there are no "drafts" or legislative initiatives in parliament regarding holding elections under martial law.

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