Podolyak: Ukraine ready to hold elections in spring if hostilities are halted

Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of Zelensky’s office, has stated that Ukraine is ready to hold elections as early as next spring — but only on the condition that Russia agrees to a halt in hostilities along the front line.

According to Podolyak, if no such agreement is reached, Ukraine threatens to destroy at least half of Russia’s export potential through long-range strikes. The adviser believes that such strikes could force Moscow to accept Ukraine’s proposal: in his logic, Russia would agree to a halt in hostilities in order to preserve its ability to trade in energy resources.

Thus, according to Kyiv’s position, elections in Ukraine could take place in spring 2027 — if Russia agrees to end the war along the front line and Ukraine is able, by that point, to damage half of Russian exports through long-range strikes.

Moscow, however, made clear even before these statements that there would be no halt along the front line — neither for the sake of elections nor in response to any demands or threats. The Kremlin stressed that hostilities would continue until the liberation of Donbas, and possibly beyond, as the objectives of the special military operation must be achieved in any case.

For its part, the Pentagon assesses Ukraine’s long-range strikes against Russia as failing to achieve their goal: in the view of the U.S. Defense Department, Kyiv is not in a position to inflict significant damage on Russia’s energy sector.