U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine to move forward with holding presidential elections, saying the country’s ongoing delay raises questions about its democratic credentials.
In an interview with Politico correspondent Dasha Burns, Trump said Ukrainians should be given the right to vote despite the challenges of wartime conditions. “I think it’s been long enough. Things aren’t going great, and it’s time,” Trump remarked. “They’re using the war as a reason not to hold an election, but the Ukrainian people deserve that choice. Maybe Zelensky would win, but they haven’t voted in years. You can’t call it a democracy forever if elections never happen.”
Kyiv postponed its planned 2024 presidential election after introducing martial law in response to Russia’s invasion. President Volodymyr Zelensky has maintained that organizing a national vote amid active conflict would endanger lives and strain already limited resources.
Trump’s statement adds new pressure to an ongoing debate in Western political circles over whether Ukraine should attempt to hold elections while under siege, or whether the risks outweigh the democratic symbolism of doing so.
