Ukraine aims to announce election plan on February 24 - FT report

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky intends on February 24 to announce plans for a presidential election and a referendum, the Financial Times said on Wednesday, but a source familiar with the matter told Reuters the timetable appeared unrealistic.

Citing Ukrainian and European officials ⁠involved in the planning, the Financial Times reported ⁠that Ukraine had begun planning for a presidential election to be held alongside a referendum on a prospective peace deal with Russia. February 24 is the fourth anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion.

Asked about the Financial Times ⁠article, the source familiar with the matter expressed scepticism, saying Zelenskiy could not set elections and a referendum in motion without first agreeing on the terms of a peace deal with Russia.

Kyiv wants security guarantees in place from the United States and Western allies before any peace deal is agreed, and would need a ceasefire during an election campaign.

"The Russians do not agree to a deal and they're not taking steps to end the war so how could there be...steps to hold elections?" the source said.

The Ukrainian presidency did not respond to a request for comment on the Financial Times' report.

NO ⁠BREAKTHROUGH ⁠ANNOUNCED AT PEACE TALKS

Organising an election as soon as possible is part of a 20-point peace framework that Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators have been working to finalise.

U.S-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi have failed to resolve differences over Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, sources say, and Russia has pressed on with attacks often focused on Ukrainian energy facilities in the depths of a harsh winter.

Russia wants control of the entire Donbas under any peace settlement. Ukraine, which still controls over 2,000 square miles (5,180 square km) of ⁠Donbas, rules this out but Ukrainian officials have expressed openness to exploring solutions such creating as a demilitarised or free-trade zone.

Zelenskiy said on Saturday that, with U.S. Congressional mid-term elections looming, Washington wants a solution found on how to end the war by June.

Reuters reported last week that, under the framework being discussed by the U.S. and Ukraine, Kyiv would hold a referendum on any peace agreement alongside an election.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials had discussed the ⁠possibility of an ‌election and ‌referendum being held in May, sources told Reuters.

Several sources familiar ⁠with the negotiations said that timetable was unrealistic as ‌there was still no peace deal and the logistics for such a vote were considerable.

Ukrainian lawmakers and experts have started a working group to ⁠draft proposals for legal changes needed to hold an ⁠election.

Although U.S. President Donald Trump wants elections held, they are banned under martial law in ⁠force since Russia's 2022 invasion, and a majority of Ukrainians oppose a wartime ballot.