US President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, calling him a “modestly successful comedian” and a “dictator without elections.”
This comes after Trump previously suggested that Ukraine had started the war and pushed for elections in the country. Speaking after recent US-Russia talks on the Ukraine war, Trump questioned the absence of elections in Ukraine.
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“When they want a seat at the table, you could say the people have to… wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have to say, like, ‘You know, it’s been a long time since we’ve had an election,’” Trump said.
He further claimed, “We have a situation where we haven’t had elections in Ukraine, where we have martial law in Ukraine, where the leader in Ukraine—I mean, I hate to say it, but he’s down at four per cent approval rating—and the country’s been blown to smithereens.”
Trump’s comments prompted Ukraine’s European allies to show their support for Zelensky. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Zelensky Ukraine’s “democratically elected leader” and defended the decision to postpone elections. “It is perfectly reasonable to suspend elections during wartime, as the UK did during World War II,” Starmer’s office said following his call with Zelensky on February 19.
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Let’s take a look at the real reason behind why Ukraine hasn’t held elections:
Why hasn’t Ukraine held elections?
Under normal circumstances, Zelensky would have faced re-election in 2024. However, following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine imposed martial law, which legally prevents national elections.
Ukraine’s parliament recently extended martial law until May 9, 2025. Holding an election before the war ends would require lifting martial law, a move that Zelensky and Ukrainian lawmakers have resisted.
Last November, all political parties in Ukraine’s parliament agreed to defer elections until the war is over. Zelensky himself has promised to hold elections once the conflict ends but insists that doing so now would be impossible.
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“If we suspend martial law, we will lose the army, and voting without the military is dishonest,” he said earlier this month.
In addition to security concerns, millions of Ukrainians remain displaced, either as refugees abroad or within Ukraine. Up to six million more are living in Russian-occupied territories, making an election logistically difficult.
Another issue is the destruction of electoral infrastructure. Many schools and public buildings that would typically serve as polling stations have been damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks.
Even if a ceasefire were to be reached, elections would still take time. According to election watchdog Opora, there is a broad consensus that voting should not take place until at least six months after martial law is lifted.
When was Ukraine’s last election?
Zelensky was elected in 2019 in a landslide victory against then-incumbent Petro Poroshenko. Running as the candidate for the Servant of the People party, he won by the largest second-round margin in Ukraine’s history.
Who else questions Zelensky’s legitimacy?
Trump is not the only one raising questions about Zelensky’s legitimacy. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also attempted to cast doubt on his authority, particularly after his term officially expired last year.
During the US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin was open to negotiations with Zelensky but added that “legal aspects related to his legitimacy” must be considered.
Would Zelensky win an election now?
If Ukraine were to hold an election today, current polling suggests that Zelensky would still be the frontrunner. A recent survey found that 57 per cent of Ukrainians trust him, an increase from 52 per cent in December. Another poll conducted from late November to early January showed that 63 per cent of Ukrainians either fully approved or somewhat approved of his leadership.
(With inputs from agencies)