Zelensky Announces Willingness to Step Down from Power
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr news Agency and Reuters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that if the war with Russia can be brought to an end, he is ready to step down and not run in the next presidential election.
Zelensky also pledged that if a ceasefire is achieved, he will ask Ukraine’s parliament to organize new elections.
He said, “If the war ends, I am ready (not to run in the election) because standing for election is not my goal. I sincerely wanted to support my country during very difficult times and help it. This has always been my wish. My goal is to end the war.”
Zelensky has been in power since 2019. His first presidential term ended in May 2024; though, under martial law regulations, Ukraine’s parliament banned elections. As a result, his presidency was automatically extended. Russian officials have emphasized that with Zelensky’s term concluded, they consider his legitimacy invalid.
Recent polls indicate Zelensky would recieve strong support if new elections were held. Findings from an August survey by Ukraine’s Research Sociological group show 35.2 percent of Ukrainians would vote for him in upcoming elections. Meanwhile, his main potential rival Valerii Zaluzhnyi commands approximately 25.3 percent support.
The 47-year-old president also left open the possibility of holding elections during a ceasefire without a permanent peace agreement, saying: “I think establishing security during a ceasefire could make holding elections feasible.”
