Ukraine prepares presidential elections and referendum for spring 2026 - FT

Ukraine is starting preparations for holding presidential elections and a nationwide referendum on a peace agreement with russia simultaneously. The Financial Times reports.

This step is a response to strong pressure from the Donald Trump administration, which insists on completing the negotiation process this spring. The White House has set a specific deadline - May 15, 2026. If these deadlines are not met, Washington threatens to deprive Kyiv of the proposed security guarantees.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to officially announce the start of the electoral processes on February 24 - on the symbolic fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion. Despite the difficult security situation and the logistical challenges of martial law, the Ukrainian authorities have already signaled to the US that they are ready to work within a short time frame. To implement this plan, the Verkhovna Rada must adopt a number of legislative changes in March and April that will allow voting to take place, despite the current restrictions.

At the same time, Western and Ukrainian officials emphasize that the reality of holding elections by mid-May remains in question. The main difficulty is that this schedule directly depends on progress in peace agreements with the Kremlin. Currently, Kyiv's strategy is to demonstrate maximum constructiveness to the US President in order to prove that the Ukrainian side is not delaying the process of ending the war.

At the same time, the American side directly links future security guarantees to the conclusion of a broad peace agreement, which, according to sources, may include painful territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine. Such an ultimatum approach by the White House leaves the Ukrainian leadership with minimal room for maneuver on the eve of the midterm elections in the US.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the CEC proposes that the Verkhovna Rada regulate the elections after the termination or abolition of martial law.

Among the key challenges of post-war elections or elections under a state of emergency, the CEC names the millions of Ukrainian voters abroad who need to be provided with the opportunity to vote. According to the CEC, out of 6.5 million Ukrainians abroad, 350,000 voters are registered with consular authorities.