Zelensky said he was ready to step down as president after the war ended

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to resign only after the war ends.

He said this in an interview with the American media outlet Axios.

The president noted that he has no intention of leading the country in peacetime. Zelensky stressed that his goal is "to end the war, not to continue running".

He also promised to appeal to parliament to organize elections after a ceasefire.

"Yes, I am ready not to go, because the elections are not my goal. I really wanted to be with my country during a difficult period of time, to help my country. This is what I wanted," the president emphasized.

Zelensky added that security concerns and constitutional requirements make it difficult to hold the vote. However, he believes that elections in Ukraine are possible.

According to the president, people can "expect a leader with a new mandate to make the decisions necessary for long-term peace".

Elections in Ukraine during the war

In February, Trump’s special representative for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg said that Washington expects Ukraine to hold presidential and parliamentary elections — potentially by the end of 2025, especially if a ceasefire with Russia can be agreed upon in the coming months.

Kellogg argued that “most democracies hold elections during wartime”, and he considers this a sign of a strong democracy.

Zelensky has said that Moscow needs “its own man” as president of Ukraine to rule the country institutionally and make it dependent. He claims that Ukrainians do not want elections during the war.

The current head of state is convinced that parliamentary or presidential elections in Ukraine can only be held after a ceasefire and security guarantees are achieved.

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