Reuters: The Trump administration urges Ukraine to hold elections immediately following a ceasefire.

The United States desires Ukraine to hold elections, potentially by the end of this year, especially if Kyiv can negotiate a ceasefire with Russia in the coming months.

Source. This was stated in an interview with Reuters by Trump's special representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg.

Ukrainian presidential and parliamentary elections, which have been suspended due to the war with Russia, "must be held".

"Most democratic countries conduct elections during wartime. I believe this is important," Kellogg said. "I think it's good for democracy. That's the beauty of a strong democracy; you potentially have more than one person who can run."

Trump and Kellogg mentioned they are working on a plan to establish a peace agreement within the first few months of the new administration. Details of this plan remain unknown.

Trump's plan is still in development, but Kellogg and other White House officials have recently discussed how to encourage Ukraine to agree to elections following an initial ceasefire with Russia, according to three individuals familiar with these discussions.

Sources within the Trump administration indicated that they are also debating whether to insist on an initial ceasefire before attempting to secure a more sustainable agreement.

If presidential elections were to take place in Ukraine, the winner could be responsible for negotiating a long-term pact with Moscow, say sources.

As reported by Reuters, it is unclear how such a proposal from Trump would be received in Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that elections could occur this year in Ukraine if hostilities cease and strong security guarantees are provided to prevent Russia from resuming combat operations.

A source in the Ukrainian government claims that the Trump administration has not yet formally demanded that Ukraine hold presidential elections by the end of the year.

Zelensky's five-year term was set to end in May 2024, but presidential and parliamentary elections cannot be held under martial law, which Ukraine imposed in February 2022.

Washington has raised the issue of elections with senior officials in Zelensky's office in 2023 and 2024 during the Biden administration, according to two American officials.

However, these discussions have been dismissed in Kyiv, citing concerns that holding elections at such an unstable moment in Ukraine's history would divide Ukrainian leaders and potentially lead to Russian influence campaigns.

A source in the Ukrainian government stated that Putin is using the issue of elections as a false pretext to derail future negotiations.

"He (Putin) is setting a trap by claiming that if elections do not take place in Ukraine, he may later disregard any agreements signed by Zelensky," the source reported.

Background. Recall that Putin stated he would not negotiate with Zelensky because he is illegitimate. The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Stefanchuk, reminded that according to the Constitution of Ukraine, the president continues to exercise his powers until a new head of state takes office.