Zelenskyy tells Piers Morgan he will not resign, says wartime elections impossible
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Piers Morgan that he does not intend to resign and that holding elections during the war is impossible, addressing US President Donald Trump's public pressure over Ukraine's leadership. Zelenskyy estimated the chances of holding elections at roughly 10%, citing ongoing Russian drone attacks and the inability to ensure front-line soldiers can vote.
Key points
- Zelenskyy said he does not plan to resign.
- He made the statement in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan.
- Zelenskyy estimated the chances of holding elections during the war at around 10%.
- He cited ongoing Russian drone attacks and the inability to allow front-line soldiers to vote as the reason elections cannot be held.
- Zelenskyy had previously said he was ready to hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, a condition the Kremlin rejected.
- Trump has publicly raised the prospect of changing Ukraine's leadership and accused Zelenskyy of insufficient efforts to reach an agreement.
Why it matters
The interview sets out Zelenskyy's public position on the legitimacy of his wartime government at a moment when the US president is openly suggesting Ukraine needs new leadership. It directly addresses whether elections are feasible under current security conditions and ties the question of leadership to the broader diplomatic track on a possible ceasefire with Russia.
What happened
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has no intention of resigning and that holding elections during the war is impossible. He estimated the chances of holding elections at roughly 10%, citing ongoing Russian attacks — including hundreds to thousands of drones per hour — and the inability to ensure front-line soldiers can vote. Zelenskyy said certain influential people want to remove him from the presidency because he will never recognize Ukrainian land as Russian, and that replacing him is a decision of the Ukrainian people, not of Trump, Musk, or anyone else in the world. He added that soldiers should be the first to vote, since they are giving and have given their lives. Zelenskyy had previously said he was ready to hold elections if Russia ceased fire for 60 days — a condition the Kremlin rejected, saying Putin would refrain from attacks for only one day. Trump has separately suggested changing Ukraine's president after a US–Russia deal on Russian fuel supplies and has accused Zelenskyy of insufficient efforts to reach an agreement and of high diesel prices in the US.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The Ukrainian source presents Zelenskyy's own framing as the lead: a refusal to resign and an emphasis on the war — drones, front-line soldiers, and the question of recognizing Ukrainian land as Russian — as the reason elections are out of the question. The account centers the question of leadership as a Ukrainian decision rather than a US one.
Where reporting differs
Zelenskyy says holding elections during the war is essentially impossible and gives them roughly a 10% chance, while Trump has publicly raised the prospect of changing Ukraine's leadership, implying elections or a change in office is on the table.
Background
Zelenskyy had earlier said he was ready to hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, a condition the Kremlin rejected, saying Putin would refrain from attacks for only one day. Trump has publicly criticized Zelenskyy over the pace of negotiations and over US fuel prices, and has suggested changing Ukraine's president after a US–Russia deal on Russian fuel supplies.