Ukraine: Zelensky reportedly planning election and peace referendum for fourth anniversary of war

“Ukrainians have the firm belief that all these measures must be linked to Zelensky’s reelection,” the report states

The scenario that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may announce on February 24, 2026—marking four years of war with Russia—his plans to hold presidential elections and a referendum on a possible peace deal is being circulated by the Financial Times. This move raises questions about Zelensky’s ultimate aims, as the Ukrainian president had stubbornly and categorically refused to hold elections for many months under the pretext of martial law, though critics suggest a fear of losing power. However, if these scenarios are confirmed, it is clear that Zelensky has succumbed to pressure from the US, which demanded that Kiev complete the election and referendum processes by mid-May. Furthermore, it logically follows that Russia and Ukraine are close to a peace agreement, as Kiev would proceed with a referendum inviting the Ukrainian people to ratify or reject terms agreed upon with Russia. For its part, Russia is clearly setting the terms for a compromise, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaking of a “rape” of the American peace plan and issuing a Moscow ultimatum, declaring that Russia will in no way sacrifice its own security.

Preparation

According to the report, Kiev began preparing for the elections after the administration of US President Donald Trump requested they be held before May 15. Otherwise, Ukraine risks losing the security guarantees proposed by Washington. The Ukrainian side informed the US administration of its readiness to conduct the elections and the referendum “in an extremely short period,” despite the logistical difficulties of holding elections under war conditions. This is according to sources within Zelensky’s inner circle. “According to Ukrainian and European officials involved in the planning, as well as other persons familiar with the situation, Zelensky intends to announce on February 24 a plan for holding presidential elections and a referendum,” the report says. “Ukrainians have the firm belief that all these measures must be linked to Zelensky’s reelection,” an anonymous Western official told the Financial Times.

The US ultimatum until May 15

As the report states, by May 15, Trump wants not only the holding of elections in Ukraine but also the implementation of the entire package of peace agreements, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbass. At the same time, the publication points out that all these plans may be thwarted if Kiev and Moscow do not agree on the territories (meaning, as implied by context, if Zelensky refuses to withdraw troops from the Donbass).

All for reelection

It is also mentioned that Zelensky may try to use the situation to increase his chances of reelection to a new five-year term, as well as to show Trump that he is not delaying the peace agreements. “The US President informed Kiev that American security guarantees depend on the approval of a broader peace agreement, which will likely involve the cession of the Donbass to Russia and which Washington wants completed before May 15,” the report writes. According to the article, “Washington is leaving Kiev very little room for maneuver ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections.”

Not to be met

However, in the view of the FT’s interlocutors, “the plan may be postponed depending on how far apart the positions of Kiev and Moscow are on the critical issue of territories.” Ukrainian and Western officials also consider that the timetable and the US ultimatum “will likely not be met,” as they depend on the possibility of achieving progress in negotiations with Russia. “However, this plan underscores Zelensky’s desire to maximize his reelection chances, while simultaneously reassuring Trump that Kiev is not slowing down the peace agreement,” the report states.

Parliamentary moves

The Ukrainian parliament will proceed in March and April with the necessary legal changes to make it possible to hold elections in the country under martial law, according to the Financial Times. “According to the work schedule, the parliament of Ukraine will deal in March and April with the introduction of the necessary legal amendments that will allow the holding of elections under conditions of martial law,” the report points out. Martial law has been imposed in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, and the following day Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree for general mobilization. Zelensky’s term expired on May 20, 2024. The 2024 presidential elections in Ukraine were canceled, citing the martial law regime and general mobilization.

And the first… denials

Meanwhile, as reported by the RBC-Ukraine agency, citing sources, Zelensky’s inner circle essentially denied the Presidential Administration’s agreement to hold elections before May 15 while the war continues. “As long as there is no security, there will be no announcements about elections,” a source told the agency. Reuters reported a few days ago that the US is insisting on concluding a deal to end the war in Ukraine within March, and that they propose holding elections and a referendum to approve the deal in May. This report was indirectly confirmed by Zelensky, mentioning that the US wants the war finished before the summer of 2026. Nevertheless, it was emphasized that the main issue—territory—has not yet been resolved, which means Ukraine does not consent to Russia’s demand for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the part of the Donbass they still control.

Zelensky’s devious games

Combining these two messages, one can conclude that the Ukrainian Presidency continues to insist that a ceasefire at the front line (i.e., without the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region) is needed for the holding of elections and a referendum on the peace agreement. However, Moscow is unlikely to agree to this, as it considers the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbass a basic prerequisite for a ceasefire. In this context, “Zelensky’s readiness for elections and referendum,” as the Financial Times writes, appears to be a continuation of the game with Trump in the sense of “we are not delaying the peace process, we are ready even for immediate elections and referendum, but only on one condition – a ceasefire. And we must pressure Moscow to agree to this.”

What Trump will do

However, it is not certain that Trump will follow this logic. According to the Financial Times, Washington wants not only the elections before May 15 but also the implementation of other terms of the peace agreements, including the withdrawal of troops from the Donbass. Another parameter is that Kiev may simply be gaining time, hoping for a deterioration in Russia-US relations, as well as a change in the situation at the front and the rear to Moscow’s disadvantage. But whether this strategy will pay off (or if it will pay off contrary to expectations), no one can say with 100% certainty.

The negotiations

This development follows the negotiations that Russia and Ukraine had, in the presence of the US, in Abu Dhabi on February 4 and 5. Both sides spoke of serious and constructive talks, although they pointed out that significant disagreements remain on both territory—it is noted that Russia requests the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces even from the last territories they control in the Donbass, something President Zelensky has categorically rejected—and on the issue of managing the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is under the control of the Russian army. Also, Russia reacts strongly to scenarios where European states—within the framework of security guarantees—send military forces to Ukrainian territory following the achievement of the peace agreement, arguing that this is an unacceptable move that would make foreign military forces legitimate targets. For his part, Zelensky argues that all documents for security guarantees in Ukraine are ready and agreed upon with the Allies…

We are not changing positions

Commenting on the negotiations in Abu Dhabi, Lavrov said that those who comment on the negotiations “at every corner” either want to undermine them or shift the responsibility for a lack of flexibility. “If you comment everywhere and formulate hypotheses, then you either want to sabotage these negotiations or (which is the same) blame the partner for the lack of flexibility,” said Lavrov, arguing that Russia is not changing the positions with which it participated in the trilateral negotiations in the UAE. “Negotiations aimed at a result love silence, which is why Moscow maintains a ‘polite silence’ about the contacts in Abu Dhabi,” the Russian Foreign Minister emphasized.

Rape… of the American version

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov characterized the new versions of the document for resolving the issue in Ukraine as an attempt by Kiev and Western countries to “rape” the American peace plan. “All subsequent versions are the result of an attempt to ‘rape’ the American initiative by Volodymyr Zelensky and his ‘patrons’ from Britain, Germany, France, and the Baltic countries,” Lavrov said in an interview, reminding that the US plan includes a clause for the restoration of the rights of Russians as a national minority in Ukraine. “The latest versions of the agreement leaked to the press mention nothing about this. They say the parties will be tolerant of each other. A ‘tolerance agreement,’ you know. And Ukraine will adhere to all EU standards in this area: tolerance and so on,” Lavrov noted.

We never saw it

Regarding the famous 20-point document discussed by representatives of the United States, Europe, and Ukraine after the Alaska summit, no one delivered it to Russia, Lavrov pointed out. “In Anchorage, we found approaches based on American proposals that opened the way for peace. The document contained all the fundamental issues and suggested resolving them according to the reality on the ground. Including those we created to protect Russians from the Nazi regime and its course to exterminate everything related to the Russian language, culture, history, and Orthodoxy,” Lavrov underlined, stating that on this basis, a final peace treaty could be quickly agreed upon. “Russia and the US at the summit in Anchorage in August 2025 found a balance of vital interests, but now Zelensky and his European ‘curators’ are trying to ‘overturn them in their favor’,” Lavrov said, emphasizing that there are very few sober voices in Europe calling for a serious approach to the settlement in Ukraine.

Ukrainians will be expelled from the Donbass

Furthermore, he argued that the goals of the special military operation will be achieved and are not subject to change. “The President of Russia Vladimir Putin clearly defined the goals of the SMO. These goals remain unchanged and are not subject to opportunistic compromises. The Armed Forces of Ukraine will ‘finally be expelled’ from the part of the Donbass they still occupy,” Lavrov underlined.

On security guarantees

Regarding security guarantees, the Russian diplomat said that Europe and the Kiev regime, speaking of security guarantees, “mean security guarantees not with the participation of Russia, but against Russia.” As he said, Zelensky needs security guarantees so as not to recognize Russian territories and to continue the war, while he mentioned that Zelensky calculates that in case of a truce, NATO will deploy missiles in Ukraine capable of “striking Russian cities.”

Russia’s terms

Nevertheless, Lavrov underlined that Russia is ready for compromises regarding Ukraine, provided that the legitimate interests of the state are respected. “We are always ready for compromises, in simple terms, for a balance of interests. The most important thing is that the legitimate interests of each state are taken into account,” the Russian Foreign Minister underlined, stating that “our legitimate interest lies in the fact that we want to ensure our own security. Like any normal country interested in the continuation of its history, the development of its people in the most favorable external conditions, and the ensuring of economic growth, the resolution of social issues, and the increase of the population’s welfare.” In his statements, Lavrov argued that any compromises for the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict cannot affect fundamental principles on which the very existence of the country and the fates of millions of people depend. “Compromises cannot concern basic, fundamental principles on which the life of the state depends. And most importantly – the life of millions of people,” Lavrov pointed out.

According to Lavrov, this primarily concerns issues related to the status of the Russian language and the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine. He added that the Russian delegation raised these issues during the negotiations in Abu Dhabi. Additionally, he reminded that Ukraine is the only country where an entire language has been officially banned, stating that something similar had not happened in any of the global conflicts—sides never imposed bans on the language of the opponent. Earlier, Lavrov had stated that the goals of the “special operation” in Ukraine remain unchanged and are not subject to opportunistic compromises.

The fire at the US

It is recalled that in the last 48 hours, Lavrov has been firing at the US, suggesting that the “Spirit of Alaska”—the set of agreements reached by the presidents of Russia Vladimir Putin and the US, Donald Trump—is in danger of being buried. Lavrov accused the United States of a lack of progress in ending Russia’s war against Ukraine and that they are reneging on the peace proposals they themselves allegedly proposed at the Alaska Summit in August 2025, by imposing new sanctions on Russia, seizing Russian shadow fleet tankers, and imposing secondary tariffs on importers of Russian oil. The Russian Foreign Minister claimed that the United States and Russia moved toward “broad and mutually beneficial cooperation,” but the United States has since “created artificial obstacles” to cooperation, while emphasizing that Russia will prevent the deployment of “any weapons that threaten Russia on Ukrainian territory” in order to ensure Russia’s security. The Kremlin has long demanded the “demilitarization” of Ukraine.

US will not support European military intervention in Ukraine

However, he estimated that the United States will not support a European military intervention in Ukraine. “The British Prime Minister and French President Macron, along with NATO Secretary General Rutte, openly boast that ‘expeditionary forces’ of the willing will be deployed in Ukraine and that there will be an ‘automatic guarantee’ that the US will support them militarily. I will not expand on how we discuss this with the Americans. But we asked them if this is true. I have no doubt that the answer for the Europeans and Zelensky will not be positive,” Lavrov underlined. A few days ago, Lavrov had uncovered the devious plan of the West for a sweeping attack against Russia, with NATO’s security guarantees to Ukraine as a Trojan Horse. The key to this plan is the so-called “intervention within 72 hours of any ceasefire violation” agreed upon by Ukraine, the US, and Europe a few days ago, emphasized the head of Russian diplomacy. This is because, according to Moscow, with the relevant provision, NATO “can organize a provocation to blame Russia, and then immediately, 24 hours later, condemn it and give Ukraine a blank check to continue the war.” As Lavrov explained, in this case, “they will gather all the… Willing to fight, and after 72 hours, the United States will join them.” “This is nonsense, but a highly revealing nonsense,” the top Russian diplomat concluded characteristically.

Mr. Zelensky… they hate you – Neither elections nor referendum will happen in Ukraine

The estimate that neither elections nor a referendum are going to take place in Ukraine is expressed by Ukrainian MP Aleksey Goncharenko, stating that there is no relevant preparation in the Ukrainian Parliament for these developments. “There will be no elections in May nor a referendum. There is no preparation in Parliament. For such a thing to happen, a bill needs to be ready. There isn’t one even close,” the Ukrainian MP said in a post on Telegram. As he said, even if elections are held, Zelensky will not be able to be reelected. “Mr. Zelensky, they hate you. Everyone. From your colleagues from Kvartal 95, your childhood friends, the residents of Kryvyi Rih, the military, even your office staff. They just hate you. And they dream of only one thing: that you are never in any position again,” the Ukrainian MP stated.

The West’s new plan for Russia: Not to allow Ukraine to be defeated

The West has not abandoned plans for causing a “strategic defeat” to Russia in Ukraine; however, now that it has become clear that the Russian Federation cannot be defeated on the battlefield, priorities are beginning to shift, points out the Russian Ambassador to Germany, Sergey Nechayev. “No one has actually abandoned plans for causing a ‘strategic defeat’ to Russia. It was just that earlier, achieving this goal was considered primarily through military-technical means, by strengthening Ukraine with weapons and military equipment,” he noted. “When it became clear that Russia cannot be defeated on the battlefield, priorities began to gradually shift and the process is extending into a long-term perspective, including the post-conflict period,” the Russian diplomat estimated. “In the updated version, the key position is formulated as follows: not to allow Ukraine to be defeated,” said Nechayev, who pointed out that to achieve this goal “more and more new anti-Russian sanctions are being launched, an ‘Alliance of the Willing’ is being formed, and security guarantees are being formulated for Kiev, which provide for the possibility of deploying NATO forces on the territory of Ukraine.” “Therefore, at the level of principles, nothing has changed,” the Russian ambassador emphasized.

www.bankingnews.gr

Source link

Σχετικά άρθρα:

Η Allwyn αποκτά πλειοψηφικό μερίδιο στην PrizePicks και δημιουργεί μια νέα δύναμη διασκέδασης παγκοσμίως Η Ουκρανία ζητά 20 δισ δολ στρατιωτική βοήθεια για το 2025 από ΗΠΑ – ΝΑΤΟ Berliner Zeitung: Η Ουκρανία θα καταρρεύσει όπως η Γερμανία το 1918 – Οι δυτικοί να προετοιμάζονται για το χειρότερο Θετικά δεκτός από τη Ρωσία ο υπουργός Στρατού Driscoll – Είναι ορθολογικός…