Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to organise elections in Ukraine if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to a 60-day ceasefire, while also signalling Kyiv's willingness to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow stops striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
"Please tell Putin, give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections," Zelenskyy told ABC's This Week.
Zelenskyy made the remarks in response to US President Donald Trump's criticism of his leadership and demands that Ukraine stop targeting Russian refineries. In an interview with ABC News, Zelenskyy said a ceasefire would create the conditions needed to organise elections, which Ukraine cannot hold under its current martial law restrictions.
"With all respect to President Trump, it's up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader...Of course, we will be ready for any choice of our people, exactly Ukrainian people," Zelenskyy said.
"I think it's time for Ukraine to get a new president," Trump had told reporters at the White House. This comes as Trump faces mounting pressure over rising fuel prices in the US and seeks to push Moscow and Kyiv towards a settlement. However, Zelenskyy has maintained that Ukraine will not accept unilateral concessions without reciprocal action from Russia and credible security guarantees.
Minutes after this development, President Trump claimed that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an "energy ceasefire" and would halt attacks on each other's energy facilities.
ZELENSKYY LINKS UKRAINE ELECTIONS TO 60-DAY CEASEFIRE
Zelenskyy's election proposal directly addresses Trump's criticism that Ukraine should replace its president after failing to reach a deal with Moscow.
Ukraine's legislation prohibits elections under martial law, which has remained in force during Russia's full-scale invasion. Kyiv has repeatedly argued that holding a nationwide vote during wartime would pose serious security and logistical challenges.
Trump on Saturday criticised Zelenskyy over Ukraine's continued attacks on Russian oil refineries, saying the Ukrainian leader had "better damn well stop". He also suggested that Ukraine needed a different leader, arguing that Zelenskyy had missed opportunities to negotiate an agreement with Putin.
Zelenskyy's response indicated that a temporary halt in hostilities could help address the election question, provided Moscow agreed to the proposed ceasefire. The Ukrainian President has consistently rejected the idea of making concessions to Russia without firm guarantees that Moscow would respect any agreement.
UKRAINE OFFERS TO HALT STRIKES
Hours before, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was prepared to stop attacking Russian oil refineries if Moscow ended its strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The proposal follows Trump's demand that Kyiv halt its attacks, which the US President blamed for contributing to rising diesel prices.
Zelenskyy argued that the responsibility for ending the conflict lay with Moscow and called for both sides to stop targeting energy facilities.
"The real cause of the war in Europe is Russia and Russia alone," Zelenskyy said, without directly referring to Trump's remarks.
"It's possible to stop strikes on energy infrastructure as early as today, but Putin does not want to do so." He added that any agreement would require "real guarantees".
Ukraine has little incentive to halt its refinery strikes unilaterally, as doing so could ease pressure on Moscow without protecting Ukrainian power facilities from further attacks. Kyiv has targeted Russian oil infrastructure to disrupt the Kremlin's energy earnings and weaken its war effort.
TRUMP'S DIESEL DEAL WITH RUSSIA DRAWS CRITICISM
The disagreement has also exposed tensions over Trump's diesel supply agreement with Russia, which Zelenskyy criticised on Saturday, warning that the arrangement could embolden Moscow.
Global diesel prices have risen sharply since the war involving Iran began in February, creating a political challenge for Trump and his Republican Party ahead of next month's US midterm elections. Democrats could gain control of one or both chambers of Congress, making fuel prices a significant issue for the administration.
However, analysts have questioned whether the Russian supply arrangement would substantially reduce prices over the longer term. The agreed volumes are reportedly well below Russia's usual exports when its refineries are operating without disruption from Ukrainian attacks. The deal has also drawn criticism from US lawmakers. Republican Representatives as well as Democrats argued that Washington should increase pressure on Moscow rather than ease sanctions.
UKRAINE SEEKS MORE MILITARY SUPPORT FROM EUROPE
With Washington pressing for concessions, Zelenskyy is seeking additional support from European allies to strengthen Ukraine's defences and maintain pressure on Russia.
The Ukrainian President said he would continue discussions with European leaders on Sunday, including talks on additional air defence packages and ammunition for combat aircraft used to intercept Russian jet-powered drones. Ukraine has repeatedly called for more air defence equipment as Russian attacks continue to threaten its cities, energy facilities and other critical infrastructure.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is due to attend an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday, where ministers are expected to discuss further sanctions against Russia and progress in Ukraine's EU accession negotiations.
