In a speech to his citizens on November 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the suspension of the 2024 presidential election in Ukraine, stating, “I believe that now is not the right time for elections.” He ended his speech saying, “My personal attitude and call is to take care of our country just as on February 24, to defend it, to destroy the occupier, to fight for the freedom of Ukraine, which is now being gained in the battles for Ukraine. I thank everyone who helps! Glory to all those who are fighting and working for Ukraine!”
As a result of the Russian invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian government declared martial law. In an interview with The Washington Post in May 2023, Zelensky stated, “If we have martial law, we cannot have elections. The constitution prohibits any elections during martial law.”
With the war against Russia now in its 20th month, Ukrainian officials have expressed concerns over the ability to conduct free, fair, and safe elections, as well as concerns about more than six million Ukrainian citizens currently living outside of Ukraine as a result of the war.
Elected to a five-year term in the 2019 presidential election, Zelensky was facing reelection in March 2024. Back in September, Zelensky’s wife had expressed doubts that he would seek reelection.
