FT: Zelensky Ready To Announce Elections And Referendum In Ukraine

An exact date has been named.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is ready to announce a presidential election and referendum on February 24. This was reported by the Financial Times newspaper, citing Ukrainian and European officials involved in the planning process.

According to the newspaper, such a move comes amid pressure on Kiev from the White House to finalize peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in the spring.

The preparations began after the Trump administration demanded that both votes be held by May 15. Otherwise, the country risks losing security guarantees offered by the US.

Sources close to Zelensky say he and his team have made it clear to the Trump administration that they are prepared for a fairly tight deadline, despite the logistical difficulties of holding the elections.

According to the working schedule, the Verkhovna Rada will work in March and April to make the necessary legal changes that would allow elections to be held under wartime conditions.

FT elaborates that Ukrainian and Western officials have emphasized that neither the timetable nor the U.S. ultimatum is likely to be met because they depend on a number of factors, including the possibility of progress in a peace deal with dictator Vladimir Putin.

At the same time, the plan "underscores Zelensky's desire to maximize his re-election chances while assuring U.S. President Donald Trump that Kiev is not delaying a peace deal, if one is reached."

U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear to Kiev that U.S. security guarantees are contingent on a broader peace deal, which is likely to include the handover of Donbass to Russia, and which Washington wants to finalize by May 15.

Officials warned that the Trump administration has previously set deadlines that have already expired, but Washington is leaving Kiev very little room to maneuver ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.

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