Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he will stand for re-election if scheduled elections are held earlier next year, despite promising to only serve one term in office when he took over in 2019.

“If there’s an election, it should take place on our territory, so that members of the military could vote on the front line. This is why we need election monitors from all over the world. I want everything to be lawful, transparent and democratic, just like the election when I became president, when everybody called it an honest election. This is something I don’t want to lose,” Zelenskiy said on August 31.

Zelenskiy expressed his “unwavering” commitment to his country's well-being amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. In an interview with Portuguese public television RTP, Zelensky affirmed that if Ukraine remains embroiled at war in 2024, he will seek re-election for another term in office, should elections be held.

Technically Zelenskiy's four-year first term in office expires early next year and presidential elections should be held on March 31, 2024. However, Ukraine’s constitution forbids elections if the country is under martial law, which was imposed immediately following Russia’s invasion last year.

The Rada extended martial law for another 90 days last week and will continue to do so until a ceasefire is called, theoretically making elections impossible, as there is no end to the hostilities in sight. Indeed, last week Zelenskiy warned citizens to brace themselves “for a long war.”

The issue of elections came up thanks to a visit to Kyiv by US Senator Lindsey Graham as part of a US delegation on August 23; Graham said elections should go ahead. Zelenskiy glibly replied that he was open to the idea, “if our Western partners pay for them.” Zelenskiy estimated the cost to be UAH5bn ($135mn) and also called on the West to send election observers to the front line, something that is very unlikely to happen as the battles there rage and it is extremely dangerous. Ukraine’s casualty figures are mounting, according to US intelligence reports. Official casualty figures remain a Ukrainian state secret, but a US intelligence report put the number of dead at 70,000, with over 100,000 wounded out of a total force of half a million men and women – a third of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have been killed or wounded.

The comment also contradicts a promise Zelenskiy made when he was first elected in April 2019 on an anti-corruption and ending the conflict with Russia platform. He said that he didn’t want power and would only stand for one term while he fulfilled this promise. However, the Russian invasion changed everything, and contrary to expectations, Zelenskiy has emerged as a highly respected war-time leader, who has united the country to resist the Russian aggression.

During his interview with RTP, Zelenskiy underscored his role as the custodian of the constitution, asserting that he has a solemn duty to defend it under any and all circumstances.

Addressing the prospect of a wartime election, Zelenskiy outlined the essential prerequisites that would need to be met. Paramount among these is to ensure the safety of voters and also including the some 8mn refugees that are living abroad, mostly in the EU.