After the term of Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky ended in April last year, Mr. Putin said that he would only negotiate and sign a treaty between Russia and Ukraine with the newly elected president of Ukraine, saying that after the expiration of his term as President of Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky would not be able to represent Ukraine to sign a peace treaty with Russia.
The issue of presidential elections in Ukraine has become a news item in recent days because it has been mentioned in proposals for solutions to end the conflict raised by the US and Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump believes that presidential and parliamentary elections can still be held in Ukraine despite the conflict and accused Mr. Zelensky of refusing to hold presidential elections since April last year because he wanted to stay in power.
Mr. Trump brought this to life because Mr. Putin remains steadfast in his stance, considering determining a new president of Ukraine through the election as a prerequisite for any peace talks or peace agreements. Mr. Trump wants to quickly end the conflict in Ukraine and is aware that to achieve this goal, it is impossible not to hold on and convince Mr. Putin.
At first, Mr. Zelensky explained that he could not hold a presidential election because Ukraine was under martial law. Ukraine's current constitution stipulates that presidential and parliamentary elections cannot be held when the country is under martial law.
However, under pressure from Trump, Zelensky said he was ready to hold a presidential election in Ukraine within 60-90 days on the condition that the US and its allies must ensure security for the election, allowing soldiers on the front lines and Ukrainian refugees to participate in the election.
The presidential election in Ukraine has become a card in the diplomatic game of Mr. Putin, Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Trump. They play this card in different ways to both make things difficult for each other and free themselves from difficult and awkward situations. Mr Putin does not want to negotiate peace directly and sign a peace treaty with Mr Zelensky, while Mr Zelensky still wants to remain in office, at least until the conflict is over. Mr Zelensky knows that if a presidential election is held in the current situation, the possibility of losing the election is not unlikely for him.
Both Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky have cited the legal impassible in Ukraine to achieve their goals. Mr. Putin wants to show that Mr. Zelensky is the one who hinders peace in Ukraine and divide Mr. Trump from Mr. Zelensky, encouraging Mr. Trump to continue to increase pressure on Mr. Zelensky, not let Mr. Trump complain about him.
Mr. Zelensky has made strategic retreats, both to maintain a defensive position and creating space for counter-attacks with this " card". He cited domestic difficulties and legal constraints to explain to Mr. Trump, and at the same time showed that he did not hold power. That approach aims to neutralize Mr. Trump's attacks as well as Mr. Putin's arguments, shifting the "ball" to Mr. Trump and his allies, and avoiding the scenario where the two US and Russian leaders stand on one side.
Mr. Trump used this to put pressure on Mr. Zelensky but also to block him so that Mr. Putin had no way back in case he could hold a presidential election in Ukraine.
The sudden return of the presidential election in Ukraine has further complicated the diplomatic process of finding a peaceful political solution to the conflict. Therefore, the trio will continue to play and re-play this card together in the near future.
