Russian leader Vladimir Putin is "ready to think" about stopping attacks deep inside Ukraine on election day.
He stated this at his annual press conference, and he is quoted by propaganda media.
At the same time, he demands that Ukrainians who are currently in the territory of the Russian Federation be able to vote at polling stations in Russia.
Back in 2018, Ukraine closed all 5 polling stations in the Russian Federation, moving them to Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Finland. The Foreign Ministry said at the time that this was a security issue.
Elections in Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyʼs term was supposed to end in May 2024, but elections cannot be held due to the war. The Constitution does not directly prohibit elections during martial law. Such a ban is contained in the law "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law".
At the same time, the Constitution contains a number of requirements for elections and referendums that cannot be fulfilled during active hostilities. Therefore, Ukraine insists that elections are possible only under the condition of a ceasefire and security guarantees.
Despite this, Russia regularly demands elections and calls the current government illegitimate. The United States has also joined these demands.
President Donald Trump said in an interview on December 9 that “the time has come” to hold elections in Ukraine. Zelensky responded on the same day that he was ready to hold elections and “is not holding on” to the presidential seat. But security issues, the voting of the military, and the legislative basis for the legitimacy of the elections remain.
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