Kellogg says Ukraine needs to hold elections by the end of 2025

The United States believes that new presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine should be held by the end of 2025. This was reported by Reuters on 1 February, citing the words of US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg.

The media outlet notes that elections could be held by that date if Kiev manages to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia in the coming months.

"Most democracies hold elections during <war operations>. I think it's important, it's good for democracy," Kellogg said.

He added, however, that "the beauty of a robust democracy" is if there is "potentially more than one person running for office."

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Klitschko complains to Zelensky, Poroshenko is deprived of the rostrum in the Rada

Earlier, on January 29, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that it was dangerous for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (whose term expired on May 20, 2024) to be re-elected for another term, so he would stall negotiations with Russia. According to Medvedev, Zelensky will either lose the election or his "piece will be removed from the chessboard by Anglo-Saxon grandmasters."

Before that, on January 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Zelensky had no rights to sign anything because of his illegitimacy. He reminded that with the possible signing of peace documents between the parties, the Ukrainian leader would need to confirm legally his legitimacy.

Prior to that, on January 8, the mass media reported that Zelensky had allegedly decided to run for a second term in the future presidential election on condition that the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and ambassador to the UK, Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, would not run for president. The Ukrainian leader himself has not yet publicly confirmed his plans.

The press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) reported on November 11, 2024 that Washington is considering holding presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine in 2025 while fighting continues. Rada deputy Yevhen Shevchenko on November 6 called on Trump to help hold elections for the head of state in Ukraine, stressing that an authoritarian dictatorial regime would be the cause of the country's demise.

In May, Putin said that the issue of the legitimacy of the president should be resolved within the Ukrainian state, while the issue of the legality of the Ukrainian political leader being in office remains important for Russia.

According to the provisions of the Ukrainian constitution, Zelensky's presidential term ended on May 20, 2024. The election was supposed to be held in March this year, but it was canceled due to martial law in the country.