President Zelensky responded to president Donald Trump and Kremlin Spox Peskov

 Zelensky Challenges Putin: “Give Us 60 Daysa of Total Ceasefire, and We Will Organise Elections”

Ukraine's president says his country is ready to hold elections if Russia agrees to a two-month ceasefire, reigniting debate over democratic legitimacy, wartime leadership and the conditions needed to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a 60-day total ceasefire, saying Ukraine would use the period to organise presidential elections.

The proposal came during an interview with ABC News on Sunday, October 11, 2026, following renewed criticism from US President Donald Trump, who suggested that Ukraine should have a new president capable of reaching a deal to end the war.

Responding to the pressure, Zelensky made his position clear.

"Please tell Putin, give us two months, 60 days of total ceasefire, 60 days, and we will organise elections," he said.

The statement places the question of Ukraine's presidential elections back at the centre of an international debate that has continued since Zelensky's original five-year presidential term expired on May 20, 2024.

However, the situation is complicated by Ukraine's continuing war with Russia, the country's martial-law restrictions and disagreements over what conditions would make an election possible.

Zelensky: Ukrainians Must Choose Their Own President

Zelensky's proposal was also a response to Trump's suggestion that Ukraine should choose a new leader who could negotiate an agreement to end the war.

The Ukrainian president pushed back against the idea that foreign leaders should determine who leads his country.

He argued that the decision belongs to Ukrainian citizens.

"First of all, with all respect to President Trump, it's up to our society, up to our people to choose one or another leader," Zelensky told ABC News.

A ceasefire could reduce some of these obstacles, although a 60-day pause would not automatically resolve every legal, logistical and security question.

Zelensky's proposal therefore raises an important question: would Russia agree to stop fighting long enough for Ukraine to conduct an election?

Zelensky's Five-Year Presidential Term Expired in May 2024

One of the central controversies surrounding the Ukrainian presidency is the expiration of Zelensky's original five-year term.

Zelensky was elected president in 2019, and his regular five-year term was due to end in May 2024. May 20, 2024, marked the end of that original term.

However, Ukraine did not hold a presidential election that year because the country remained under martial law following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukrainian law prohibits presidential elections during martial law. The country's constitutional framework and the continuation of Zelensky's presidential authority under wartime conditions have consequently become subjects of political dispute.

Russia has repeatedly questioned Zelensky's legitimacy because a new presidential election has not taken place.

Ukraine, meanwhile, maintains that its constitutional and legal arrangements allow the incumbent president to continue exercising presidential powers until a successor can take office through the required constitutional process.

These are important distinctions.

The expiration of a president's original five-year term does not, by itself, establish that the person has ceased to exercise lawful presidential authority. The applicable constitutional provisions, wartime legislation and arrangements for the transfer of power must also be considered.

Nevertheless, the absence of a new presidential election has given Russia another argument in its political confrontation with Kyiv.

Zelensky's latest proposal offers a possible route towards addressing the dispute through an election, provided the necessary conditions can be established.

Why Is Zelensky Asking Putin for 60 Days?

The logic behind Zelensky's proposal is that a temporary halt in hostilities could create the breathing space needed to organise a nationwide election.

Third, parts of Ukraine remain occupied by Russian forces. Determining how citizens in occupied territories could participate safely and lawfully presents another major challenge.

Finally, election officials would need to establish procedures for campaigning, voter registration, polling, counting and the resolution of disputes.

A 60-day ceasefire could provide an opportunity to address some of these issues.

There is also the question of what would happen when the 60 days ended.

Trump Wants a New Ukrainian President

The exchange comes amid renewed tensions between Trump and Zelensky over how to end the war.

Trump has criticised the Ukrainian president and argued that Ukraine needs a leader capable of reaching an agreement with Russia.

His position has intensified pressure on Kyiv over the absence of elections and the continuation of the conflict.

Zelensky, however, has insisted that the choice of Ukraine's president belongs to Ukrainians themselves.

The disagreement reflects a broader diplomatic challenge: how can the war be brought to an end without undermining Ukraine's sovereignty or forcing the country to make decisions under conditions that compromise its democratic process?

Washington has considerable influence over the diplomatic and military environment surrounding the conflict. Moscow, meanwhile, remains a principal party to the war.

But Ukrainian voters would ultimately be the ones to determine the country's president in a properly conducted election.

Zelensky's proposal appears designed to put the question directly to Moscow: if Russia insists that Ukraine should hold elections, will it agree to the temporary halt in fighting that Kyiv says is necessary to organise them?

Russia Rejects the 60-Day Ceasefire Proposal

Update October 12, 2026: Russia has rejected Zelensky's proposal for a 60-day ceasefire to allow Ukraine to organise presidential elections.

According to Reuters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow wanted a broader, long-term peace agreement rather than a temporary cessation of hostilities.

Peskov said Russia did not want a ceasefire and instead wanted lasting peace. Russia has also reiterated that a seize fire will help the Ukrainian Army reinforce.

Zelensky is proposing a temporary ceasefire as a means of enabling elections. Moscow says it wants a comprehensive settlement rather than a pause in the fighting.

The two positions leave significant questions unanswered, including whether the sides can agree on a common framework that addresses both the immediate humanitarian and security situation and the longer-term political future of Ukraine.

Russia's rejection also means that the proposed 60-day arrangement has not been agreed upon.

Without an agreement, there is no confirmed ceasefire period under which Ukraine could organise elections as outlined in Zelensky's proposal.

The Bigger Question: Does a war turn country with failing economy need 60 days, to conduct an Elections?

The controversy goes beyond the personal political future of Zelensky.

It raises a broader question about democratic governance during wartime.

On one hand, regular elections provide an important mechanism for democratic accountability. Citizens should have an opportunity to choose their leaders and determine the direction of their country.

Displaced citizens may struggle to vote. Military personnel may be deployed far from their homes. Some communities may be inaccessible, while voters in areas exposed to attacks could face danger.

An election must also be sufficiently inclusive and credible for its results to command public confidence.

These challenges do not mean that elections during wartime are necessarily impossible. They mean that the legal framework, security conditions and practical arrangements matter.

Russia has offered a different response, saying that it wants a comprehensive peace agreement rather than a temporary truce.

The expiration of Zelensky's original five-year term in May 2024 is a verifiable constitutional and political milestone. But understanding the present situation requires examining the legal effect of martial law and the constitutional arrangements governing presidential authority during wartime.

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