Zelenskyy names 2 conditions for holding elections during the war

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that it is possible to hold elections during war, but this requires changes to the legislation and appropriate funding.

Zelenskyy said this in an interview with Nataliya Moseichuk, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

Zelenskyy commented on Republican Senator Lindsey Graham's position that elections in Ukraine should be held in 2024 despite the war.

The President admitted that the issue of elections in Ukraine is one of those that can "split the support of the USA," and the argument is that the United States held elections even during the war.

At the same time, Zelenskyy reminded that the law in Ukraine forbids holding elections during wartime.

"The logic is that if you protect democracy, then even during war, you should consider this protection. Elections are one of the protections. But it is not for nothing that elections are prohibited during war according to the law - it is very difficult to hold them. My answer is very simple, and Lindsey and I formulated it very quickly - he was very satisfied. If our parliamentarians are ready, because then we need changes to the legislation, to the Election Code, do it quickly," said Zelenskyy.

He added that significant funds are also needed to hold elections.

"If I told him (Senator Lindsey), you are ready to give me 5 billion because I can't just take 5 billion from the budget; it seems this is the amount needed to hold elections in normal time, and not in wartime. I know what kind of amount it is - if the United States of America together with Europe will give us financial support (then Ukraine will hold elections - ed.)," the head of state said.

The President emphasized that there will be a lot of risks during the elections.

"And most importantly, let's take risks together. And how? The observers should be in the trenches. I told him: You and I should send observers to the front lines to have legitimate elections for ourselves and the world. And this is absolutely fair," emphasized the President.

According to Zelenskyy, Linsey Graham said all his remarks were "very adequate, very fair."

The head of state added that Europe would have to open the opportunity to vote for 7 million Ukrainian refugees because Ukraine does not have such infrastructural capabilities, and it is impossible to deprive refugees of the right to vote.

"There is a way out. I'm ready for it. I'm talking about it publicly now; I told him (Graham) that I have no secrets," Zelenskyy emphasized.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, Mykyta Poturayev, a member of the Verkhovna Rada from the Servant of the People faction/head of the committee on humanitarian and information policy, believes that electronic voting should be introduced to ensure the conduct of elections.

The US senator said the Ukraine elections should be held even in war conditions.

The Verkhovna Rada stated that the Constitution does not prohibit holding elections during wartime.