[1andrew1]

Interesting u-turn from Zelensky

Zelenskyy planning elections in Ukraine and vote on peace deal

Trump administration has pressured Ukrainian leader to hold both votes by May 15 or risk losing security guarantees

Ukraine has begun planning presidential elections alongside a referendum on any peace deal with Russia, after the Trump administration pressed Kyiv to hold both votes by May 15 or risk losing proposed US security guarantees.

The move, according to Ukrainian and western officials and others familiar with the matter, comes amid intense pressure on Kyiv by the White House to wrap up peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in the spring.

The plan aligns with a US push, outlined by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reporters last Friday, to have all documents signed to bring Europe’s largest conflict since the second world war to an end by June.

“They say that they want to do everything by June . . . so that the war ends,” Ukraine’s president told reporters, citing the White House’s desire to shift its focus to the US midterm elections in November. “And they want a clear schedule.”

https://archive.ph/rRH9D