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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this Tuesday that he is "ready" to hold elections in his country and hopes to send an amended proposal to the United States on Wednesday to end the war with Russia, which began nearly four years ago.
U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring Kyiv to accept a deal proposed by Washington. Ukraine's allies criticized the initial plan for being too favorable to Russia, and it has since been amended.
"Today we are working and tomorrow we will continue. I think we will deliver it tomorrow," Zelenskyy replied to a journalist's question about whether Ukraine had already sent the updated plan to the United States.
In an interview published this Tuesday by Politico, Trump accused Zelenskyy of not even having read the proposals presented by his administration.
He also said that Kyiv was "using the war" to avoid calling for elections. "They talk about democracy, but there comes a point where it is no longer a democracy," the Republican mogul claimed.
Ukraine should have organized presidential elections in 2024, but the polls were postponed as martial law has been in effect since the Russian invasion of February 2022.
"I am ready for elections," Zelenskyy assured reporters on Tuesday, specifying that he had requested "proposals on the possibility of modifying the legislative foundations and the law on elections during martial law."
The Ukrainian leader noted, however, that for the vote to take place, it was necessary to guarantee security in the country, which is bombarded by Russia daily.
"Now I ask, and I declare it openly, that the United States of America help me, possibly together with my European colleagues, to guarantee security for the holding of elections," he stated.
- Encuentros con dirigentes europeos -
Zelenskyy traveled to various European capitals in recent days to draft a response to the U.S. plan. On Monday, he met with European leaders in London and Brussels, and on Tuesday, he had a meeting with Pope Leo XIV and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Washington's plan envisioned Ukraine ceding territories not occupied by Russia in exchange for security promises, but it closed the door on Kyiv's desire to join NATO.
However, both Ukraine and its allies considered that the first version of Washington's plan was too favorable to Russia.
Initially, that document had 28 points, but it was reduced to 20 after the meetings held by representatives of Ukraine and the United States last weekend, according to Zelenskyy.
The Ukrainian president believes the negotiations are hitting a wall precisely on the issues of territory and security guarantees.
"Are we considering ceding territories? We have no legal right to do so under Ukrainian legislation, our Constitution, and international law. And we have no moral right either," he declared.
"The essential thing is to know what our partners are willing to do if a new act of aggression by Russia occurs. At the moment, we have not received any answer to that question," he noted.
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- Trump critica Europa -
Since returning to power in January, Donald Trump, who had promised to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, adopted a changing attitude toward Kyiv and accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful enough to the United States.
However, he also expressed frustration regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin and recently imposed more sanctions on Russian oil companies.
All in all, the Republican believes that Moscow has the "advantage" in the conflict because it is "much larger," as he told Politico.
According to Trump, "part of the problem" is that Zelenskyy and Putin "really hate each other" and that, therefore, "they find it very difficult to try to reach an agreement."
In the interview granted to Politico, Trump also criticized the role of Europe. "They talk, but they do not produce," he stated.
After meeting with Zelenskyy, Pope Leo XIV said that "the statements that were made about Europe, also in recent interviews, I think they try to break what, in my opinion, must be a very important alliance today and in the future."
The pontiff also warned that "seeking a peace agreement without including Europe in the talks is not realistic." "The war is in Europe and I believe that, in the security guarantees that are sought today and in the future, Europe must be a part," he asserted.
[Publicidad]