US state press reports Trump abandoning Ukraine election demand
(MENAFN) The United States is no longer pressing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to hold new elections, despite his official term ending in May 2024, according to U.S.-funded media outlet Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which cited European diplomatic sources.
Zelensky has repeatedly postponed elections under martial law, most recently extended by Ukraine’s parliament on April 16 for another three months. Earlier this year, former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticized Zelensky, calling him “a dictator without elections” and claiming he had lost support among Ukrainians. Zelensky responded that elections couldn’t take place while the country remained at war.
According to RFE/RL editor Rikard Jozwiak, the U.S. quietly removed the election issue from its official stance, even though it was initially floated as a potential requirement for continued support.
Trump’s reported peace proposal includes U.S. recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, freezing the conflict along existing front lines, and accepting Russian control over portions of four Ukrainian regions annexed by Moscow. In contrast, Ukraine and its European allies have insisted that talks on territorial matters can only begin after a full ceasefire is in place. Neither proposal mentions elections.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy, suggesting his expired mandate is an obstacle to reaching a peace agreement. The Kremlin argues that, under Ukraine’s constitution, the parliament (Verkhovna Rada) is the only institution still holding legal authority in the absence of elections—a claim denied by Ukrainian officials, including parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov recently described the extension of martial law as a move by Zelensky to cling to power and preserve what he called a fragile political structure.
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