The Big Picture
According to the report, Kellogg and other White House officials have discussed asking Kyiv to hold the votes as part of a potential truce deal with Moscow. Speaking to the agency, Kellogg said that both the presidential and parliamentary elections “need to be done.”
What He Is Saying:
“Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war. I think it is important they do so,” the special envoy said. “I think it is good for democracy. That’s the beauty of a solid democracy, you have more than one person potentially running.”
Go Deeper:
Parliamentary and presidential elections in Ukraine scheduled for October 2023 and March 2024 were not held after Vladimir Zelensky announced in December 2023 that they would not take place while martial law imposed during the conflict with Russia remains in force. Martial law was declared in February 2022 following the escalation of hostilities between Kyiv and Moscow. Since then, it has been repeatedly extended. In November 2024, martial law was prolonged once again and is now expected to remain in effect at least until February 7, 2025.
Trump Tells Putin not to Escalate War in Ukraine
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