Zelenskyy Warns Russia Is Preparing to Interfere in Ukraine’s Future Elections

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that holding elections or a nationwide referendum in Ukraine is impossible under current security conditions and warned that the Kremlin would attempt to use the issue of voting to challenge the legitimacy of any future electoral process.

According to UNITED24 Media, Zelenskyy made the remarks while answering questions from journalists, commenting on ongoing discussions about potential political processes amid Russia’s continued missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.

“There must be a safe sky and security everywhere on our territory, at least for the time of elections or a referendum,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that without comprehensive security guarantees, it would be impossible to ensure the legitimacy, safety, and inclusiveness of any democratic process.

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Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian intelligence has warned that Moscow plans to demand voting access for Ukrainians currently in Russia and in temporarily occupied territories. According to him, this approach is intended to later question the legitimacy of Ukrainian elections.

“Russia will deliberately raise the issue that a large number of people live there and have the right to vote, in order to later claim that it does not recognize these elections,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Moscow routinely seeks to portray Ukraine’s authorities as illegitimate despite Russia’s own lack of democratic legitimacy.

At the same time, Zelenskyy said Ukraine has clear “red lines” in any discussions on ending the war, stressing that Kyiv will not recognize occupied territories under any conditions and that strong security guarantees remain a core requirement.

He pointed to Russia’s continued attacks as evidence of Moscow’s approach to peace efforts, underscoring that any political steps are only possible if Ukraine’s security is fully ensured.

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