Zelenskyy responds to Trump’s election demand: ‘I’m always ready’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said he is prepared for presidential elections whenever conditions allow, responding to comments by US President Donald Trump urging Kyiv to hold a vote.

Zelenskyy made the remarks in a comment to La Repubblica. According to the newspaper, the President was asked about elections as he stepped out of a hotel in Rome’s Parioli district, where he typically stays during visits to the Italian capital.

“I am always ready,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that he trusts Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and expects continued support for Ukraine.

Trump said in an interview with Politico that presidential elections in Ukraine “must be held”, arguing that Ukrainian officials are using the war to avoid a new vote. He also claimed Ukraine is “no longer a democracy” because elections have not taken place for an extended period.

Responding to the remarks, European Commission spokesperson Anita Hipper stressed that Russia continues its war against Ukraine and elections can only be held when “conditions allow”.

Earlier media reports revealed that an initial draft of a 28-point US–Russia peace plan included a clause stating that elections in Ukraine should take place 100 days after the end of the war.