Russia-Ukraine war: Zelensky proposes 60-day ceasefire to hold elections

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered to organise presidential elections in his country if Russia agrees to a complete 60-day ceasefire, challenging United States President Donald Trump to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt the war.

Zelensky made the offer during an interview with ABC News’ This Week programme on Sunday, October 11, amid renewed criticism from Trump, who has called for a change of leadership in Kyiv and questioned Zelensky’s approach to ending the conflict. Blueprint reports

The Ukrainian leader said his government was prepared to organise elections if the security conditions required for a credible exercise could be guaranteed through a two-month cessation of hostilities.

“If President Trump really wants to have some changes during elections, I also shared this with his team. Please tell Putin: give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections,” Zelensky said.

He added that he would accept whatever choice Ukrainians made at the ballot box.

“Of course, we will be ready for any choice of our people, exactly Ukrainian people,” he said.

The proposal places the question of elections within the wider diplomatic dispute over how to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, which has continued since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky pushes back against Trump

Zelensky’s offer followed Trump’s renewed criticism of his leadership and suggestion that Ukraine should elect a new president capable of reaching an agreement with Moscow.

Trump had argued that Zelensky had opportunities to negotiate a settlement but had failed to take them, adding that it was time for Ukraine to have a different leader.

The remarks prompted Zelensky to defend his democratic mandate, insisting that the decision on who should lead Ukraine belonged to the Ukrainian people rather than foreign leaders.

“With all respect to President Trump, it’s up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader,” he said.

Zelensky also suggested that Putin would welcome a change of leadership in Kyiv, arguing that Moscow had an interest in influencing Ukraine’s political direction.

By offering to hold elections following a comprehensive ceasefire, the Ukrainian president sought to demonstrate his willingness to allow voters to determine the country’s leadership while insisting that the ongoing war made a normal electoral process difficult.

His position is that a credible election requires more than a political agreement to conduct one. It would also require sufficient security for voters, election officials and candidates throughout the country.

‘They can’t find the key to stop Putin’

Zelensky also responded to criticism from Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who have both questioned his leadership and accused him of contributing to the continuation of the war.

Asked why the two men were blaming him for the conflict, the Ukrainian president suggested that their criticism reflected their inability to find an effective way to stop Putin.

“Because these people can’t find the key to how to stop Putin,” Zelensky said.

The exchange highlights the growing disagreement between Kyiv and Washington over responsibility for the prolonged conflict and the conditions under which a negotiated settlement could be reached.

Trump has repeatedly pressed Ukraine to pursue an agreement with Russia, while Zelensky has maintained that any settlement must protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and prevent Moscow from using negotiations to secure further strategic advantages.

Musk, meanwhile, has publicly criticised Zelensky over the continuation of the war, adding to the pressure on the Ukrainian leader from prominent voices in the United States.

Zelensky’s response reflects his position that responsibility for ending the conflict cannot be placed solely on Ukraine while Russian forces continue military operations against the country.

Why holding elections remains difficult

Ukraine has not held a presidential election during the ongoing period of martial law, which was introduced following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The country’s legal framework prohibits presidential elections while martial law remains in force, creating a constitutional and administrative obstacle to conducting a normal electoral exercise during wartime.

The security situation presents further challenges. Military operations, missile and drone attacks, displacement and the presence of Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories complicate arrangements for voting across the country.

Millions of Ukrainians have also been displaced internally or forced to leave the country since the invasion, raising questions about voter registration, access to polling stations and participation by citizens living abroad.

A 60-day ceasefire, as proposed by Zelensky, would provide a temporary halt to hostilities, but it would not automatically resolve every legal and logistical issue associated with holding elections.

The Ukrainian government would still need to address the legal framework, establish suitable security arrangements and ensure that the election process could be conducted in a manner that allowed citizens to participate freely.

Zelensky has indicated that he is willing to work with Ukraine’s parliament on possible legislative arrangements if a comprehensive ceasefire can be secured.

Kyiv proposes reciprocal halt to energy attacks

Beyond the election proposal, Zelensky has also expressed willingness to suspend Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy facilities.

He said the arrangement could serve as an initial confidence-building measure towards a wider de-escalation of the conflict.

The proposal comes amid continuing attacks on energy infrastructure, which have threatened electricity and heating supplies and raised concerns about the impact of the war on civilians as Ukraine approaches another winter.

Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to stop attacking Russian refineries and related facilities if Russia reciprocated by ending strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

He urged Trump to communicate the proposal to Moscow, arguing that a reciprocal arrangement would be fair to both sides.

The Ukrainian president described an energy ceasefire as a possible first step towards peace, while maintaining that the ultimate objective should be an end to the war.

Trump announced on October 11 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire. However, the announcement lacked detailed terms, and Ukrainian officials reported continued Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.

Zelensky said any such arrangement needed to be reciprocal and backed by actual compliance rather than declarations alone.

The uncertainty surrounding the proposed energy truce underscores the difficulty of translating diplomatic announcements into a verifiable halt to attacks.

Russia responds to election debate

The Kremlin also addressed the question of Ukrainian elections on Monday, October 12, saying Putin would be prepared to order Russian forces not to attack Ukraine on election day if Kyiv decided to proceed with a vote.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the proposed restraint would apply specifically to election day.

The position falls short of the 60-day comprehensive ceasefire sought by Zelensky, which would be intended to provide a broader period of security for election preparations and voting.

The difference between the two positions highlights a central challenge in the negotiations: whether Russia would agree to a sustained cessation of hostilities or only a limited pause tied to the election itself.

A single day without attacks would not necessarily address the security, legal and logistical difficulties associated with organising a nationwide election during wartime.

As of Monday, the Kremlin’s statement did not amount to an agreement to the full 60-day ceasefire proposed by the Ukrainian president.

Elections and peace negotiations remain linked

Zelensky’s proposal places the responsibility for creating conditions for elections partly on Moscow, while challenging Washington to use its influence to secure a meaningful ceasefire.

For Ukraine, the question is not only whether elections should take place but also whether citizens can vote safely and whether the process can be conducted under conditions that protect democratic participation.

For the United States, the disagreement presents another test of its efforts to bring the war to an end while balancing pressure on Kyiv with negotiations involving Moscow.

The proposed 60-day ceasefire has not yet been established, and the positions expressed by the parties indicate that significant differences remain over the terms of any halt to hostilities.

Zelensky has maintained that Ukrainians must decide who leads their country, while insisting that a credible election cannot be separated from the security conditions created by the war.

His challenge to Trump to persuade Putin to agree to a two-month ceasefire therefore leaves the next step dependent on whether the parties can move beyond public exchanges and secure an arrangement that would allow Ukraine to prepare for elections while protecting its population.