US President Donald Trump has called on Ukraine to hold national elections despite the ongoing war with Russia, suggesting the country risks losing its democratic credentials. His remarks were published Tuesday in an interview with Politico, in which he also renewed sharp criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump accused Kyiv of “using war” as a justification for postponing elections, which have been suspended under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Under normal circumstances, Ukraine’s presidential vote would have taken place in March 2024.
“I think it’s an important time to hold an election,” Trump said. “They’re using war not to hold an election, but I would think the Ukrainian people should have that choice. You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”
The president also repeated claims made on Sunday that Zelensky had not reviewed Washington’s proposed plan to end the war. The comments came after several days of talks between US and Ukrainian officials concluded Saturday with no breakthrough, although Zelensky pledged continued engagement toward what he termed “real peace.”
“Maybe he’s read it over the night. It would be nice if he would read it. You know, a lot of people are dying,” Trump said.
Trump argued that Russia currently holds the “upper hand” in the conflict because it is “much bigger,” and suggested Ukraine’s battlefield setbacks long predated his presidency. Asked whether Ukraine had already lost the war, he replied: “They’ve lost territory long before I got here,” adding that losses had continued over the past 10 months.
His remarks came as European leaders reiterated their support for Kyiv at a meeting in London on Monday. Zelensky insisted Ukraine has “no right” to surrender territory claimed by Moscow.
Trump blamed both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin for the stalemate, saying the two leaders “really hate each other,” which makes negotiations difficult. He also criticized Europe’s efforts to end the conflict.
“Europe is not doing a good job in many ways,” he said. “They talk, but they don’t produce. And the war just keeps going on and on. I mean, four years now it’s been going on, long before I got here.”
