Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that Ukraine cannot hold national elections without at least a temporary cease-fire, warning that voting during Russia’s ongoing assault would be unsafe, illegal and deeply unfair.

His remarks, delivered to a virtual meeting of the international β€œCoalition of the Willing,” underscored the mounting political pressure Kyiv faces as the war grinds into its fourth year.

Ukrainian law bans elections under martial law – a measure imposed just days after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Zelenskyy’s term expired in May 2024, but wartime rules froze the electoral calendar, prompting Moscow to declare him β€œillegitimate” and fueling criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who began his second term in January.

β€œThere must be a cease-fire – at least for the duration of the election process and voting,” Zelenskyy told the coalition, citing report

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