When asked in a January 2025 interview, he said that seeking a second term was not his current goal or focus, but his decision would depend on the outcome of the war.

[14] Apart from the legal prohibition, both government and opposition politicians in Ukraine questioned the feasibility of a 2024 election, citing concerns over security and displaced voters[2][14] as the Russian invasion continued.

Russia controls 18% of Ukraine's territory as of October 2024[update],[15] and nearly 14 million Ukrainians have either fled abroad or been displaced internally.

[2][14][10] Other challenges identified include danger to voters and likely disruption of the voting process[10] due to Russian bombardment;[16] the inability of citizens in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine to vote;[16] the inability of soldiers to vote or run as candidates;[14] damaged polling infrastructure;[14] an outdated voter registry that has not been updated to reflect millions of displaced voters;[10] expanded state powers and restricted rights under martial law that would limit campaigning[10] and prevent fair competition for opposition candidates;[17] and the lack of funds.

Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Kremlin, contended that the move deprived Zelenskyy of formal legitimacy; Russia held its own presidential election in 2024, which was criticised by international observers as having unprecedented levels of fraud and irregularity.