Ukraine Restores State Voter Registry After 3-Year Suspension as Kyiv Weighs Wartime Elections

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a press conference in Rome on July 10, 2025. Antonio Masiello/Getty ImagesUkraine has taken one of its most concrete steps yet toward restoring its electoral system after nearly four years of war, as pressure mounts—particularly from U.S. President Donald Trump—for the country to hold elections.Ukraine’s Central Election Commission said on Dec. 23 that it has fully restored the State Register of Voters, reopening a system that was shut down the day Russia launched its invasion in February 2022. The registry is the backbone of Ukraine’s voting system and is required for any national election to take place.