By Gloria Ogbonna
Ukraine is reportedly preparing to hold simultaneous presidential elections and a national referendum on a proposed peace agreement in Spring 2026, in what is being described as an effort to strengthen the legitimacy of a potential U.S.-brokered settlement to end the war with Russia.
According to a report by Britain’s Financial Times, citing Ukrainian and European officials involved in preliminary discussions, Kyiv is working with European partners to organize wartime elections next year.
The move would come after years of delayed national voting due to Russia’s full-scale invasion and the imposition of martial law.
The report claims that the United States has made the holding of long-overdue presidential elections a condition for activating American security guarantees for Ukraine. Under this framework, confirming President Volodymyr Zelensky’s democratic mandate through the ballot box would be tied to the implementation of long-term U.S. support arrangements.
In addition to the presidential vote, Ukraine is reportedly considering a referendum on the terms of a proposed peace deal.
The agreement under discussion would allegedly involve a cessation of hostilities in exchange for Russia retaining permanent control over roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory in the country’s east.
President Zelensky has previously argued that he cannot unilaterally concede Ukrainian territory, as doing so would violate the country’s constitution.
A national referendum, however, could provide a legal mechanism to overcome that constitutional barrier by allowing the Ukrainian public to decide directly on the terms of any settlement.
The Financial Times report suggests that Zelensky’s circle has privately indicated that Washington wants a durable peace agreement in place by early summer, possibly due to the approaching U.S. midterm elections.
While this timeline has not been independently confirmed, it is alleged that President Zelensky could announce the election plans as early as February 24, with voting potentially taking place before a reported May 15 deadline said to have been set by the United States.
However, the accuracy of these claims remains disputed. Ukrainian officials have already pushed back on aspects of the reporting.
The Daily Telegraph cited a source close to President Zelensky who suggested that the sequence of events may be the reverse of what was described.
Rather than elections being a prerequisite for security guarantees, the source reportedly insisted that firm Western security commitments would need to be secured before any announcement of elections.
“As long as there is no security, there will be no announcements,” a Zelensky ally was quoted as saying.
Kyiv has long maintained that holding elections during active wartime is both unconstitutional and impractical. Ukrainian law prohibits national elections under martial law, and the ongoing conflict presents major logistical and security challenges.
Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced either serving in the armed forces, living as refugees abroad, or residing in areas under Russian occupation. Approximately 20 percent of the country remains under Russian control.
In addition, Ukraine’s political landscape has been reshaped during the war. Several pro-Russian or anti-war opposition parties that previously held parliamentary seats have been banned.
Even if a presidential election were held, parliamentary elections are not currently planned, meaning the composition of Ukraine’s legislature would remain unchanged. President Zelensky’s party continues to hold the largest bloc in parliament.
Potential challengers to Zelensky could also face significant obstacles in mounting competitive campaigns against a wartime incumbent. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, one of Zelensky’s prominent domestic rivals, has warned that introducing political competition during the conflict could fracture national unity.
“Political competition during the war is bad,” Klitschko told The Financial Times. “We can destroy the country from inside… [which is] Russia’s goal.”
To address the unprecedented circumstances, the Ukrainian government is reportedly assembling a “working group” to explore how elections could be conducted under martial law while still meeting European Union democratic standards.
Because millions of Ukrainians are currently living abroad, Kyiv may need to coordinate with host countries to establish polling stations so refugees can cast ballots where they reside.
At the same time, Ukrainian officials are said to be concerned about the risk of Russian interference, particularly in European nations with large Ukrainian populations. As a precaution, Kyiv is expected to seek assistance from allied intelligence agencies to help safeguard the voting process.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly pressed Zelensky for nearly a year to renew his democratic mandate. In February 2025, Trump reportedly told the Ukrainian leader that if Kyiv wanted “a seat at the table” in eventual peace negotiations, elections would be necessary.
In December 2025, he reiterated that view, saying, “I think it’s time. I think it’s an important time to hold an election… They’re using war not to hold an election, but I would think the Ukrainian people should have that choice.”
He added, “Maybe Zelensky would win. I don’t know who would win, but they haven’t had an election in a long time. They talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”
As discussions continue, significant legal, political, and security questions remain unresolved. Whether Ukraine proceeds with elections and a referendum during wartime could have profound implications not only for the country’s democratic institutions, but also for the future shape of any negotiated peace.
Source Breitbart