This is reported by RBK-Ukraine citing a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with The Economist. This information is also shared by Kontrakty.UA.
According to him, there will be no ceasefire just for the sake of a ceasefire, and a ceasefire may be part of ending the active phase of the war, but "then we need to understand what security guarantees are."
"Without security guarantees, a ceasefire is merely an opportunity for Putin to come back in two months. No, that’s not possible. Thus, the active phase of the war will end. If it ends, then martial law will probably end as well," he stated.
The President of Ukraine added that if there is no martial law, the parliament must hold elections - announce the date, etc., and take legislative steps.
Commenting on the statement from U.S. Special Representative Keith Kellogg regarding elections in Ukraine, Zelensky wondered, "When does General Kellogg think elections will happen?"
"He is 80 years old, and he is thinking about elections in Ukraine. That’s interesting. Honestly, I believe we will all think about elections when we can. Today, that is definitely not the priority. Not because someone is for or against. It’s not about that. It’s like not having dinner in the morning. You need to have breakfast, work, and after work come home, rest with your beloved wife, and have dinner. We can't have dinner because we need to survive until the evening. Just live. That’s our entire path," he said.
He emphasized that "we must stop the war, put an end to it, and return safe lives to our people, and then - elections."
What Kellogg said
Previously, Trump’s special representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, stated that the U.S. wants elections in Ukraine if there is a ceasefire with Russia.
Earlier, Zelensky, commenting on Kellogg's statement, said that if Keith Kellogg visits Ukraine, he will understand how inappropriate the question of presidential elections is right now.
Moreover, the advisor to the President of Ukraine on communications, Dmytro Lytvyn, called Kellogg's plan, if it only includes a ceasefire and elections in Ukraine, a failure.