Ukraine is ready to hold elections in the next 60 to 90 days if its allies can guarantee safety for the vote, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned Tuesday, following criticism from his American counterpart Donald Trump.
“I am ready for the elections,” Zelensky instructed reporters from his airplane as he left Italy following conferences with the Italian prime minister and Pope Leo.
“Not only that, I am asking – and I am now declaring this openly – the United States of America to help me, together with our European colleagues, to ensure security for the elections,” he added.
His feedback come after an interview in which the US president instructed Politico he believed the Ukrainian management was utilizing conflict as an excuse “not to hold an election” and that it was time for the nation to go to the polls.
“They talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore,” Trump instructed Politico.
The Ukrainian chief pushed again on the suggestion he was clinging to energy, saying safety was his primary concern.
“How can this be done under missile attacks on our military. The question is, how will they vote?” he mentioned.
Zelensky added that he was asking Ukrainian lawmakers to put together legislative proposals on how to make elections doable throughout martial legislation.
He additionally cautioned that the matter was “for the people of Ukraine, not the people of other countries.”
“With all due respect to our partners, I will say frankly that I am ready for the elections,” Zelensky added.
The improvement follows days of talks between Ukraine and its allies aimed toward securing an finish to the almost four-year conflict.
Following a gathering with European leaders this week, Zelensky mentioned he expects Ukraine will hand over an up to date peace proposal to the US on Wednesday.
“We are working today and we will work tomorrow. I think we will hand it over tomorrow,” he mentioned on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day he mentioned Ukraine and its European allies had been virtually ready to ship a “refined” peace proposal to the US after discussions in London on Monday with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany.
In his interview with Politico, Trump accused Zelensky of not studying the latest US proposal. When requested concerning the accusation on Tuesday, Zelensky instructed reporters he has learn a number of variations of the plan and that the Ukrainian crew was nonetheless making modifications to it. He mentioned it was very important for Ukraine and the United States to hold leadership-level conferences “in the coming weeks, next week, or maybe in a week’s time” relating to the plan.
Three totally different paperwork are underneath dialogue with the Americans and the Europeans, Zelensky mentioned.
One doc is a 20-point, evolving framework for peace. The second, he mentioned, is about safety ensures.
“We are working on this. I am waiting for relevant proposals from our military and their dialogue with the Americans,” Zelensky mentioned concerning the second doc.
The third doc, Zelensky mentioned, is about Ukraine’s restoration. The president mentioned efforts to that finish ought to happen after the conflict ends or after a ceasefire is secured.
While Zelensky and his officers proceed to meet with European allies, Trump’s more and more confrontational angle in the direction of Europe has raised questions concerning the area’s function in a peace plan for Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Pope Leo expressed concern at Trump’s latest Ukraine peace plan, suggesting it might weaken the US-Europe alliance.
The Pope mentioned the plan marks “a huge change in what was for many, many years a true alliance between Europe and the United States.” Recent remarks by the US president seem to be “trying to break apart what needs to be a very important alliance today and in the future,” the pontiff added.
Pope Leo didn’t specify which of Trump’s feedback he was referring to. But in latest days, Trump’s new national security strategy has been launched and it includes a extra confrontational posture in the direction of Europe.
The doc takes intention at European governments for his or her assist of Ukraine, blaming “European officials who hold unrealistic expectations for the war” for standing in the way in which of peace.
The pope pressured the significance of Europe’s function in securing peace for Ukraine.
“Trying to reach a peace agreement without including Europe in the talks, so to speak, is unrealistic, because it’s a war in Europe, and I think that Europe must be part of the security guarantees that are being sought, both for today and for the future,” he mentioned.
Meanwhile, Zelensky additionally acknowledged that Ukraine doesn’t have the energy to take again Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
“I will be honest – today we do not have the strength for all this, we do not have sufficient support for all this,” he mentioned after being requested whether or not he had instructed Putin, throughout their first meeting in Paris in 2019, that he needs Crimea again and needs Ukraine to be a part of NATO.
Zelensky and Putin’s first and solely assembly for the reason that Ukrainian chief took workplace was an try towards ending the battle in Ukraine’s jap Donbas area somewhat over two years earlier than Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
US President Donald Trump referred to this assembly in his interview with Politico.
“Maybe I said that at the first meeting. And I believe that I was right,” Zelensky recounted earlier than including that at present, Ukraine doesn’t have the power to get Crimea again.
NCS’s Christopher Lamb and Kit Maher contributed to this report.