A newly introduced bill to extend martial law would rule out a new presidential vote

Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has submitted a bill to extend martial law in the country by another 90 days, which would rule out any chance of a new presidential election being held in the foreseeable future.

Zelensky - whose presidential term expired almost one year ago - has repeatedly cited martial law as a pretext for refusing to hold a new election. Russia has declared Zelensky "illegitimate" as a leader, insisting that the Ukrainian parliament remains the only legal authority in the country.

On Tuesday, Zelensky introduced draft legislation in the Ukrainian parliament proposing a three-month extension of martial law and general mobilization starting from May 9. According to Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held while martial law is in effect, meaning the presidential vote will remain suspended.

If martial law were lifted, parliamentary elections could be held within 60 days after the end of the restrictions, and presidential elections within 90 days.

The submitted bills are expected to be approved by parliament between April 15 and 18, Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak has said.

Zelensky's potential run for reelection has been the subject of much media speculation, particularly after Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East and a key figure in negotiating a settlement of the Ukraine conflict, claimed in late March that "there will be elections" in the country, although without providing a timeline. His comments also came after Trump himself called Zelensky "a dictator without elections."

A later report by The Economist claimed that Zelensky and his team were gearing up for a blitzkrieg election campaign to "catch [his] rivals off guard" and win the vote before the opposition could muster its strength.

However, Ukrainian officials have dismissed any plans to hold an election anytime soon. David Arakhamia, the head of Zelensky's faction in the parliament, said that "all parliamentary parties and groups have agreed that elections should be held six months after the lifting of martial law."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that European NATO members are making every effort to make sure that Zelensky retains power. Even if he fails to do so, Kiev's backers would seek to maintain "the same Nazi and overtly Russophobic regime" in Ukraine by installing a new "half-Fuhrer" in Zelensky's stead, Lavrov stated.

(RT.com)