Zelenskyy on running in presidential election in case of ceasefire: It will depend on people
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not rule out a scenario in which he would take part in the presidential election of Ukraine, which could take place during an "unstable ceasefire."
He said this in an interview with Axios, Censor.NET reports.
On the elections
In his previous interview with Axios, published in September 2025, Zelenskyy said that "after the end of the war, he would step away from politics."
However, in the new interview, the head of the Ukrainian state suggested that any elections may have to be held under conditions of an unstable ceasefire, and that under such a scenario, he could become a presidential candidate:
"It will depend on the people. We will see what they want."
According to him, the parties in the negotiations have largely agreed on a US-led mechanism to monitor a ceasefire using drones, should one be reached.
- He also noted that at this point, Russia has agreed only to a one-day ceasefire so that Ukraine could organize and conduct a national vote, rather than the 60 days that Zelenskyy believes are necessary.
- He considers Russia’s position absurd and a possible sign that Moscow is not ready for genuine peace.
On Medinsky at the negotiations
Zelenskyy reiterated that the best way to achieve a breakthrough on the territorial issue is for Putin to meet him face-to-face. He said he had instructed his team to raise the issue of a future leaders’ meeting in Geneva.
Given the change in the head of the Russian delegation, Zelenskyy fears that the Russians will try to turn the negotiations into a courtesy meeting or return to square one in order to buy Russia more time on the battlefield.
He also noted that, like Putin, Medinsky likes to philosophize about the "historical roots" of the war. "We don't have time for all this shit. So we have to make a decision and end the war," Zelenskyy added.
