Will Zelenskyy Face Elections? Here’s What Ukrainian Parliament Says- wna24
Kyiv: Days after Donald Trump attacked Zelenskyy and called him a ‘dictator without elections’ who wanted to keep his ‘gravy train’ going, Ukraine’s Parliament on Tuesday made it official that there won’t be any elections in the country till the time the war is on with Russia.
Ukraine’s Parliament has passed a resolution, upholding the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President and said that there are no plans to conduct elections as the war is on with Russia.
Ukrainian Parliament’s response on elections have come after Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin both questioned the legitimacy of Zelenskyy, with the former one even going to an extent and describing him as a ‘dictator without elections’. Trump had said that Zelenskyy don’t want to face elections because he was low in polls and would not win.
After backlash and repeated criticism from Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is on the back-foot as far as Ukraine-Russia peace talks are concerned, has emphasised on prisoner swap deal with Russia to kickstart negotiations on ending the war. In another statement, Zelenskyy offered to quit in exchange of NATO membership to Ukraine, a demand which started the war at the first place.
Amid United States’ desperate bid to end the war, Zelenskyy may travel to Washington and meet President Trump at White House, to sign a deal on Ukraine’s rare earth elements.
According to reports, US and Ukraine are closer than ever to finalise a deal that will allow the former a share of revenue from its natural resources. Trump, a few ago, had asked Zelenskyy to allow access to United States to use its rare earth elements in exchange of all the help and security guarantees to Kyiv during the war. Meanwhile, Moscow also made a similar offer to Washington.
As per the draft agreement of the proposed deal, Americans have sought a 50 per cent revenue from Ukraine’s rare earth elements without offering a security guarantee to Kyiv but more as compensation for the US military and financial support given to the country.