President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Constitution and laws of Ukraine do not allow holding presidential and parliamentary elections during martial law.

He said this during an interview on January 2 on the TV marathon “United News”, stressing that any elections are possible only after the end of the war or the introduction of legislative changes, reports Social News.

“According to the Constitution, presidential and parliamentary elections can only take place after the end of martial law. During martial law, elections are not possible. To hold them, it is necessary to change the legislation, and this applies to both presidential and parliamentary elections,” Zelensky explained.

The president also noted that at the moment the talk of elections is most heard in Russia, which seeks to use this narrative to undermine the legitimacy of the Ukrainian authorities.

“The legislation clearly defines: until the elections of a new parliament or president, the current government remains legitimate,” Zelensky stressed.

If the hot phase of the war ends in Ukraine and “there remains a strong army, a strong package of weapons, guarantees of security”, and the Verkhovna Rada abolishes martial law in the country and sets a date for elections, then they can take place.

Asked whether he plans to run for a second presidential term, Zelensky replied: “For me, this is not the focus of today. This is not today's goal. I don't know how this war will end. If I do more than I can, then I will look at it more positively.”