President Vladimir Zelenskiy of Ukraine said that scheduled presidential elections for next year can go ahead, but only if the West pays for them. Ukraine is supposed to hold elections in 2024, but earlier the president said they would be suspended due to the war.

Under Ukraine’s constitution elections cannot be held while the country is under martial law. The Rada extended martial law on July 27 for another 90 days until November 15 and is anticipated to continue to extend it until a ceasefire is called, which is now not expected to happen until next autumn at the earliest.

Cancelling elections has disturbed some, afraid that Zelenskiy will use the war to consolidate his hold on power and undo Ukraine’s democratic progress.

Zelenskiy said that the West needs to provide UAH5bn ($135mn) to cover the cost of a vote, as well as help organise polling stations at the front line and in European countries where some 8mn Ukrainian refugees are waiting out the war.

In a TV interview, Zelenskiy addressed criticism from the West regarding the suspension of democratic processes in Ukraine. He specifically mentioned US Senator Lindsey Graham's comments during his visit to Kyiv on August 23. Zelenskiy recounted a conversation with Graham, where he asked if the senator was ready to provide financial assistance for holding a presidential election next year.

"I gave Lindsey a very simple answer very quickly," he said. "He was very pleased with it. As long as our legislators are willing to do it." He said it cost 5bn to hold elections in peacetime. "I don't know how much is needed in wartime," he said. "So I told him that if the US and Europe provide financial support ..."

Zelenskiy caused some confusion by failing to specify if he meant dollars or hryvnia, although most experts agree he must have meant the national currency, as $135mn aligns with estimates for the cost of an election.

Zelenskiy emphasised that he wouldn't divert the state’s funds from military and essential services spending in the middle of a war to finance an election.

He added, "I will not take money from weapons and give it to elections. And this is stipulated by the law,” Reuters reports.

He suggested that Western nations should also be prepared to take risks and even send observers to the front lines to ensure the credibility of the election.

Graham expressed his desire to see Ukraine have a free and fair election even during its conflict with Russia despite the ban. Zelenskiy indicated that he wouldn't oppose an election if Western countries provide funding and are willing to take on the associated risks. He also mentioned that the Ukrainian parliament would need to amend the law accordingly.

During the TV interview, Zelenskiy suggested that criticism about the absence of elections could be an attempt to undermine US support for Ukraine.

Funding Ukraine’s war has already become a political issue in the upcoming US presidential election as noticeable Ukraine fatigue begins to set in.

Republican presidential candidates hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy said recently that if he became president he would stop the war in Ukraine, recognised the occupied territories as Russian, block Ukraine’s Nato accession and force Kyiv back into neutrality, if Russia ended its military alliance with China – a position that has caused outrage amongst Ukraine’s many supporters.