Speaking in an interview on The Axios Show, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that he intends to step down once the war with Russia is over, saying he does not want to lead Ukraine in peacetime.
“My goal is to finish the war,” he said. “I don’t want to lead the country in peacetime.” He added that if a ceasefire is reached, he would call on Ukraine’s parliament to organize elections, stressing that he is “ready” to leave office once the fighting ends. Questions arise about his motivations, however, as a ceasefire is nowhere in sight and he knows he will most likely lose an election once the war is over.
Zelensky acknowledged that elections have been indefinitely postponed because of the war, a point frequently raised by critics, including former U.S. President Donald Trump. He noted that both Ukraine’s constitution and the ongoing security situation make elections difficult, but he believes they could be possible if a multi-month ceasefire takes hold. “During the ceasefire, I think security can give the possibility to have elections. It can be so,” he said.
He also emphasized that Ukrainians may want “a leader with … a new mandate” to make the historic decisions needed for a lasting peace. Zelensky told Trump directly that if a ceasefire happens, “we can use this period of time, and I can give this signal to the parliament.”
At the same time, Zelensky used sharp words to warn the Kremlin. “You must know where the bomb shelters are. If you don’t end the war, you will need the shelters,” he declared. He reaffirmed that until peace is achieved, he will continue leading Ukraine’s resistance against Russia.
At the UN meeting in New York, Zelensky asked the U.S. president for a “special weapons system,” without specifying which one. “If we have it, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll use it. But if we have it, it increases the pressure on Putin to sit down and negotiate with us,” Zelensky explained. According to him, Trump promised to work on the request.
Zelensky, who came to power in 2019, would have completed his five-year term in May 2024 had the war not intervened. Domestic challenges have grown since: protests erupted in July after his parliamentary allies attempted to weaken independent anti-corruption bodies, raising questions about Ukraine’s democratic trajectory before the move was reversed.
