Zelenskyy says wartime elections impossible under current conditions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said holding elections is impossible under the country's current conditions, the Ukrinform news agency reported.

"Elections right now would be a tsunami for the country that would tear Ukraine apart.

So, my strategy is to bring the country to the end of the war and preserve an independent and sovereign state," Zelenskyy told reporters.

Ukraine would be ready to discuss holding possible elections only if its partners provide specific guarantees that the vote could be held safely, legitimately and democratically, without strikes or shelling, Zelenskyy said.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov recently said that Ukraine should find a legal and safe way to hold elections even during the conflict.

A presidential election was expected to be held in 2024 but was postponed due to the country's martial law, which has been in effect since the escalation of the Ukraine crisis.