Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, stated that Ukraine cannot afford to finance elections, emphasizing that this is a responsibility other countries should assume.
Speaking on the "Novosti Live" channel on YouTube, Podolyak said:
"We are not the ones who should be funding this. Objectively, we cannot afford it because we have a budget deficit."
According to Podolyak, there are other spending priorities in the budget, particularly related to military needs.
Zelensky’s presidential term officially ended on May 20, 2024, but Kyiv decided not to hold elections, citing the impossibility of doing so before martial law is lifted.
On December 9, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that it was time for elections to be held in Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of using the conflict as a pretext to avoid them.
That same day, President Zelensky expressed readiness to hold presidential elections but stressed the need for legislative amendments and security measures to ensure that military personnel could vote.
He called on parliamentarians to prepare the necessary "legislative amendments" and asked the United States and Europe to help guarantee the security of the voting process.
On December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during the "Year-End Results" conference that Russia would be willing to consider halting airstrikes deep inside Ukrainian territory on the day of the elections. He also noted that between 5 and 10 million Ukrainians living in Russia should have the right to vote if elections are held in Ukraine.