Are elections possible in Ukraine during wartime? Parliament issues statement

At present, there is no legislation — or even a starting framework — that would enable preparations for wartime elections.

First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Korniyenko said this in an interview with “Novyny.LIVE”.

According to him, not even preliminary drafts of such decisions exist yet.

“Right now, there are no legislative initiatives, no drafts, no preliminary versions of such legislation. And this means that someone has to submit it if we want it to appear,” Korniyenko said.

He stressed that any amendments to election law must be widely debated in parliament with the participation of civil society organizations. At the same time, the key factor is ensuring voter safety.

“Without a security framework provided by our partners — primarily the United States and our European colleagues — it is impossible to speak about elections. This includes the issue of voters abroad who do not want to return to the country under shelling,” he explained.

Conditions required for holding elections

Korniyenko also underscored the need to create conditions for voting by military personnel and internally displaced persons. He says, the state cannot currently guarantee security across vast areas, particularly near the front.

“Right now, we cannot guarantee safety either on election day or during campaigning. With modern weapons reaching 30 kilometers, the question becomes where polling stations can be opened and where they cannot. Our legislation does not even specify who is authorized to make such a decision,” he said.

Preparing for elections requires resolving dozens of technical and security issues in a comprehensive manner. Although several working groups are operating within the Central Election Commission, and there are certain developments in parliament, these matters have not yet reached a plenary discussion.

“Any effort to discuss post-war elections or other forms of democratic expression immediately turns into a political debate. There’s a lot of work ahead. If the goal is to prepare a legislative framework, we will proceed accordingly,” Korniyenko said.