Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will not run for re-election once the war is over and is ready to step down, Reuters reports.
In a video interview with Axios, Zelensky said: “If we finish the war with the Russians, yes, I am ready not to go (for elections) because it’s not my goal, elections.” He stressed that he wanted to help his country through a difficult period and that his goal was to end the war, adding that once a ceasefire is reached, he would call on Ukraine’s parliament to hold presidential elections.
Ukraine’s presidential election was scheduled for 2024, but was postponed under wartime laws introduced after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Zelensky, a successful comedian, was elected in 2019. Since Zelensky has not been re-elected,
Russia has regularly questioned whether Zelensky is Ukraine’s legitimate leader.
However, Zelensky has managed to maintain public trust during more than three and a half years of war, and he addresses the nation every day, regularly visits Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines, and maintains diplomatic relations. A September poll showed that 59% of Ukrainians trust Zelensky, while 34% of respondents indicated that they do not trust the president.
Zelensky visited the United States earlier this week, where he attended the UN General Assembly and met with US President Donald Trump.
In an interview with Axios, Zelensky also said that if Moscow refuses to end the war, Kremlin officials should know where the nearest shelter is.
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