Ukrainian Parliament backs democracy resolution, affirms Zelenskyy’s authority amid wartime

Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak reported the information.

On February 25, the Verkhovna Rada successfully passed Resolution No. 13041, after a previous version (No. 13039) failed to secure enough votes. The new bill was supported by 268 lawmakers, whereas the earlier attempt fell short with only 218 out of the required 226 votes.

The resolution highlights concerns about holding elections during martial law, warning that such a process would not meet national or international democratic standards and could resemble Russia’s manipulated presidential election in March 2024. Lawmakers reaffirmed that elections in Ukraine will take place only when comprehensive and lasting peace is secured.

Additionally, the document emphasizes that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will continue to exercise his duties until a newly elected president officially takes office, as stipulated by Ukraine’s Constitution.

• Russian propaganda has repeatedly claimed that Zelenskyy is illegitimate. Recently, calls for presidential elections have also come from some U.S. officials.
• On February 19, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Zelenskyy’s approval rating was only 4%. That same day, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published a study showing that as of early February 2025, 57% of Ukrainians trusted Zelenskyy. Later that day, Trump referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections.”