Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in an interview with Axios that he has no ambitions to lead the country in peacetime and that his main goal is to end the war. If a ceasefire can be achieved, he would ask parliament to organize elections.
He understands that people want a “leader with a new mandate” who will make the important decisions necessary for lasting peace.
However, Zelensky emphasized that the security situation and the Ukrainian constitution itself make it difficult to organize elections during martial law.
The people elected Zelensky to office in 2019, and under normal circumstances, his term would have ended in May last year. The portal added that his support in polls had risen to 90 percent after the outbreak of the conflict and currently stands at 60 percent.
In the interview, he mentioned that millions of residents have been displaced and about 20 percent of Ukraine is occupied by Russia. Elections in these areas would therefore be difficult.
He also confirmed Trump's support for attacks on Russian targets such as energy infrastructure and weapons factories. At the same time, he asked him for a new weapons system that would “bring Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.” The American president promised that “they will work on it.”
However, the Ukrainian president refused to attack civilians. The centers of Russian power, such as the Kremlin, are another matter, though: “They need to know where the bomb shelters are. If they don't end the war, they will definitely need them.”
(max)