Zelensky Says Ready to Contest Presidential Election During Russia Conflict

Kyiv, October 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to contest presidential elections if voting takes place before the conflict with Russia ends, according to the Ukrinform news agency.

“If it takes place during the war, of course, it is my duty, because I must defend my country from the beginning until the end of the war,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky said Ukrainian law requires elections to be held at least six months after the end of hostilities. However, he indicated that he was willing to explore options for holding a vote during the conflict if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, Xinhua News Agency reported.

He explained that a 60-day preparation period would allow Ukraine to amend its election legislation and put the necessary security arrangements in place.

Ukraine last held presidential elections in 2019. Martial law was imposed in 2022 amid the conflict with Russia, prohibiting elections on security grounds.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump called on Ukraine to hold a presidential election.

In a separate development, Zelensky said the United States had temporarily suspended crucial intelligence sharing with Ukraine for three days, leaving Ukrainian forces without American warnings of Russian ballistic missile attacks during that period.

In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Zelensky also said restrictions on satellite communications used by Ukrainian forces had not been fully lifted, raising further questions about Washington’s military and intelligence support for Kyiv.

The Ukrainian president said the interruption affected intelligence that only the United States could provide, particularly advance warnings of ballistic missile strikes.

“We didn’t see attacks of Russia using ballistic missiles,” Zelensky said.

He added that Ukraine continued to receive intelligence from European governments and other international partners, but their capabilities could not fully replace American systems.

“We have dozens of countries who help. But only United States has this unique intelligence to say, to tell us, to tell our side when Russia uses ballistic missiles,” he said.