By Tom Balmforth
KYIV (Reuters) – An aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday a U.S. call for Ukraine to hold an election after agreeing a ceasefire with Russia looked like a “failed plan” if that is all it consists of, though more details were needed.
President Donald Trump’s top Ukraine official Keith Kellogg told Reuters the U.S. wants Ukraine to hold elections, potentially by the end of the year, especially if Kyiv can agree a truce with Russia in the coming months.
“We haven’t seen Mr. Kellogg’s full interview, only a few quotes about the elections, so it’s hard to fully assess his position,” said Dmytro Lytvyn, Zelenskiy’s communications adviser.
“But if his plan is just a ceasefire and elections, it is a failed plan – Putin won’t be intimidated by just those two things,” he told Reuters in a written statement.
Kyiv has repeatedly said it does not want a ceasefire without obtaining security guarantees that would stop Moscow regenerating its forces and launching another invasion in the future. Elections are currently prohibited under martial law, which Ukraine imposed after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Lytvyn said Ukraine would prefer to see what he described as a more in-depth approach by officials in key partners.
“But we remember that President Trump, in his meetings with President Zelenskiy, spoke deeply and wisely about the situation and what could actually pressure Putin,” he said.
Ukraine has praised Trump and his “peace through strength” approach as Kyiv tries to win the backing it needs to create the conditions for a lasting and robust peace.
Lytvyn said it was important to move quickly to “real work between teams on a concrete plan to end the war and ensure lasting peace”.
Nearly three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Moscow’s troops are advancing in eastern Ukraine, while Kyiv’s forces are holding a chunk of a western Russian region. Both sides are conducting regular long-range drone strikes far behind the front lines.
(Reporting by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Helen Popper)
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