The FT writes about Ukraine's "plans" to announce elections and a referendum. A government source denies this

The British newspaper Financial Times wrote that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly intends to announce plans to hold presidential elections and a referendum on February 24. However, a source in the government who spoke to LIGA.net denied this information.

The FT, citing unnamed Ukrainian and European officials involved in the "planning," writes that Ukraine allegedly began preparations for the election and referendum after the administration of US President Donald Trump insisted that both votes be held by May 15, otherwise Ukraine risks losing promised security guarantees from the US.

The source LIGA.net , commenting on the FT article, emphasized that the key and mandatory thing for holding elections is the security of the process and voting. At the same time, the Russians do not want to ensure this security.

"Every day there are strikes. So what kind of elections are there then?" he commented.

Olha Aivazovska, Head of the Board of the Civil Network OPORA, expert on electoral legislation , emphasized that the work in parliamentary groups on drafting legislation for the first post-war elections continues, but there is an understanding that at least six months from the end of martial law to the start of the election campaign are needed.

"On February 12, the next large parliamentary group will meet to hear the work of seven subgroups that have held 32 meetings in a month (including two scheduled for today) and will obviously need to continue their work, especially in the areas of media, campaigning, combating Russian interference, etc.", she said .

Aivazovska emphasized that in addition to new norms and concepts in the electoral legislation, such should appear in the Criminal Code and the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses.

"There are definitely no votes in the parliament for anything now, and after the legal framework is developed in the form of a draft law, we will have to have more than one meeting with factions and groups, where other interests will start to act and turn on: in addition to political ones, current life interests (sanctions, investigations, etc.)," she said .

According to Aivazovska, the process may be complicated and lengthy, as the Verkhovna Rada no longer has a unanimous coalition that could make decisions on its own.

• Zelenskyy has repeatedly said that he would like the peace plan to be put to an all-Ukrainian referendum, but this requires at least several months of ceasefire, which Russia has not yet agreed to.
• According to him,, 60 days is the minimum time required to organize a vote, because holding a referendum in a time of war is fraught with serious security, logistical, and political difficulties.
• Zelensky has repeatedly said the same about elections, which are constantly insisted on in the United States. Against this backdrop, President asked the US to provide security for the voting.
• At the same time, the majority of Ukrainians consistently do not support elections until the war is over, according to a KIIS poll.