From what I've found online, this statement is misleading. It's not Zelenskyy that ended the elections, it was the imposition of martial law in Ukraine. While he did say outright that there would be no elections until the war with Russia ends, this was an announcement made on behalf of Ukraine's martial law, not a full decision on his part. There has been almost no public support or outcry for an election in Ukraine because they are in the middle of a war and elections are tricky things to run. "Nearly a fifth of the country is occupied by Russian troops; millions of Ukrainians have fled the country, and hundreds of thousands are serving in the military, the site notes. There are also cost concerns with conducting an election while the country is under siege, the site says" (Robertson, Lori, and Robert Farley. “Trump’s False and Misleading Ukraine Claims.” FactCheck.Org, The Annenberg Public Policy Center, 7 Mar. 2025, www.factcheck.org/2025/02/trumps-false-and-misleading-ukraine-claims/. Par 45. Accessed 1/14/2026).
The same Factcheck.org article outlines several points about the war between Russia and Ukraine, one of which specifically mentions Trump accusing Zelenskyy of being a dictator and forbidding elections. However, it is pointed out that it was under their (Ukraine's) Martial Law legislation that elections aren't being held. “Thus, for Ukraine to conduct elections while under martial law would be a violation of legal norms that predate Zelensky and the full-scale Russian invasion” (Par 43). It isn't necessarily just Zelenskyy making this choice.
According to Snopes, Zelenskyy did say there would be no more elections in Ukraine (with the caveat that was left out of the original claim) until the war ends. This is old news, posted back in 2023. "Zelenskyy first declared martial law at the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces on Feb. 22, 2022 (...) Based on terms outlined in the Ukrainian Constitution, elections for Ukraine's parliamentary body the Verkhovna Rada and for the presidency cannot be held when martial law is imposed" (Par 2). If the law itself says that elections can't be held, and the president is supposed to follow the laws just like everyone else, wouldn't holding an election be breaking the law?
The BBC also addresses the claims about a Ukrainian election in this article. "There is little domestic political pressure on Zelensky to call elections while the conflict is ongoing, said Oleksandr Merezhko, the chairman of the foreign policy committee in Ukraine's parliament" (par 17). His opponents are also respectful of martial law: "Even the opposition, which is against Zelensky and would like to see him removed are against elections, because they understand the danger of attempting to hold elections during the war" (par 19). This is not to say that no one is calling for an election, but it appears, at least according to this article, that the only ones doing so are those outside of Ukraine. "Moscow has consistently claimed Zelensky is an illegitimate leader and demanded new elections as a condition of a ceasefire deal – a talking point which has been repeated by Trump" (par 9).
These sources are known to be middle or slightly left-leaning, with high information accuracy in their articles.
