KYIV, Sept 25 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview published on Thursday that he would be ready to step down after the war with Russia is over.
"If we finish the war with the Russians, yes, I am ready not to go (for elections) because it's not my goal," Zelenskiy told the Axios website in a video interview.
"I wanted very much, in a very difficult period of time, to be with my country, help my country. My goal is to finish the war."
Zelenskiy said he would ask Ukraine's parliament to organise elections if a ceasefire was reached.
A presidential election due in 2024 was suspended in line with martial law, introduced in Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Zelenskiy, a former comedian, was elected in 2019.
Russia has repeatedly questioned Zelenskiy's legitimacy as a leader as a result.
During more than three-and-a-half years of war, Zelenskiy has maintained a high level of public trust. He is constantly in the public eye via daily messages on social media, visits to soldiers near the front line and international diplomacy.
A poll conducted at the start of September by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology showed that about 59 per cent of Ukrainians trusted Zelenskiy. About 34 per cent of those polled did not trust him.
Zelenskiy was in the United States this week where he participated in the United Nations General Assembly and met US President Donald Trump. Zelenskiy said Kyiv was seeking new long-range weapons from the US.
As part of its war, Russia launches regular attacks on Ukraine, often involving hundreds of drones and missiles. Ukraine launches long-range drones of its own targeting military assets and energy infrastructure, though on a smaller scale.
