Billions and observers in the trenches are needed to hold elections in wartime conditions, the president believes.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wants to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine in 2024, but this requires some conditions. He told about this in an interview with Natalya Moseychuk.
According to him, he expressed these conditions in a conversation with US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who openly spoke to the press in favor of holding elections in Ukraine, even despite the legal regime of martial law.
“If our parliamentarians are ready, because we need then changes in the law – in the Electoral Code. And do it quickly. Sometimes,” Zelensky began to name the necessary conditions.
“I said to him (Graham – ed.):” Are you ready to give us 5 billion? Because I’m not a “cobblestone” person. And for me, this is the amount needed to hold elections in normal times, and in times of war I don’t know what this amount is,” the president continued.
Such financial support for holding elections, the head of state stressed, can be provided to Ukraine by the United States and Europe.
“I will not hold an election on credit. I will not take money from the armed forces and give it to the election as well,” Zelensky said.
In addition, “observers must be in the trenches” and all 7 million Ukrainian refugees abroad must get a chance to vote.
Only in this case, according to Zelensky, the results of the will of the people of Ukraine can be assessed as legitimate.
“I would like to hold elections. Honestly,” added Zelensky.
As the current Ukrainian president sums up, he does not want to be perceived as someone who clings to power and opposes elections.
Earlier, Zelensky spoke about the conditions for the liberation of Crimea. If Ukraine controls the administrative border with the peninsula, then Russia can be squeezed politically, the president believes.
Source: korrespondent
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