UKRAINIAN president Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed the “utterly stupid idea” that he planned to use the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of his country to announce a peace referendum.
In a post on X last night, Zelensky blasted or a vote on a peace deal, writing: “I could never do such a thing.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed the idea that he would announce elections on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of UkraineCredit: AFP
The site of a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine in OdesaCredit: Reuters
A man walks at a ruined city market following a Russia’s attack in Odesa, UkraineCredit: AP
It comes after reports from the Financial Times that a presidential vote, which could see Zelensky ousted as leader, and a simultaneous referendum on ending the war, could be held as early as May 15.
He wrote: “February 24 is a special date.
“Even if there were an intention or relevant steps toward bringing certain elections forward, I believe it would be an utterly stupid idea to use such a date to talk about politics.
“This is a very serious date – four years of war. It’s a large number of people who have defended our state and given their lives.
“And it is since February 24 that our people have been defending their country every day. I could never do such a thing.”
It follows drawn-out talks between the US, Ukrainian and Russian officials as part of Donald Trump’s efforts to end Putin’s bloody invasion.
Any plans for a vote would have gone against Zelensky’s previous insistences that polls cannot take place during wartime – Ukrainians could have been asked to cast ballots on ceding territory to Russia.
Unequivocally denying the reports, the Ukrainian leader added that the date will not be used to announce “any elections at all”.
Zelensky reiterated that he would not hold elections of any kind until security guarantees and a ceasefire are in place.
He wrote: “As for announcing elections in general, I’ll repeat: first security, then politics.
“We can move toward elections when all the relevant security guarantees are in place.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed the idea that he would announce elections on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of UkraineCredit: Alamy
Zelensky said that February 24 was a “special” date, calling using it for politics an “utterly stupid idea”Credit: AFP
“The issue of elections has been raised by various partners. Ukraine itself has never raised it.
“But of course, we are ready for elections. It’s very simple to do: establish a ceasefire – and there will be elections. Meaning, it is a matter of security.”
In a second post, Zelensky added that that he had not heard anything from tyrant Putin about the which US President Donald Trump demanded in January.
He wrote: “We have not received any response from the Russians regarding the energy ceasefire.
“If anything, one could say the opposite – we received responses in the form of drones and missile attacks.
“This indicates that, for now, they are not ready for the energy ceasefire proposed by the U.S. side in Abu Dhabi.”
The Ukrainian leader added that he was ready for a trilateral meeting with the US and Russia, in Miami or Abu Dhabi.
Elections in Ukraine have been effectively suspended since 2022 because of martial law, but polling shows little appetite among the Ukrainian people for a wartime ballot.
It comes as Ukraine hit a 265,000 ton munitions facility in Kotluban, Russia overnight.
Putin also struck last night, with a brutal drone attack that killed a father and three children in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region – a pregnant mother was wounded, but survived the strike.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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