As Volodymyr Zelenskyy sat in the Oval Office next to Donald Trump on August 19, he was asked a familiar question.
Journalist: "God willing, [if] we get peace, are you open to holding an election in your country?"
It's not the first time the Ukrainian president has been pressed on this.
Ukraine was supposed to hold presidential elections in March or April last year, but they were abandoned due to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Mr Zelenskyy responded that "of course" he was open to "democratic, open, legal" elections — but only once a truce with Russia had been reached.
"During the war, you can't have elections," he added.
Mr Trump responded by cracking a joke.
"So you say during the war, you can't have elections," he said.
"So let me just say, three and a half years from now, so you mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections.
"Oh, that's good. I wonder what the fake news is going to say."
So, is it possible to hold an election during a war?
Let's take a look.
Why hasn't an election been held in Ukraine?
Ukrainian legislation prohibits presidential elections while martial law — the replacement of civil government with military rule — is in effect.
Martial law has been in place in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Moscow has been highly critical of Ukraine postponing its elections, repeatedly challenging the legitimacy of the Kyiv government and claiming Mr Zelenskyy is not a valid negotiating partner.
In March, Russia's President Vladimir Putin suggested Ukraine should be temporarily placed under UN control to elect a "viable" government.
A month prior, Mr Trump joined in, calling Mr Zelenskyy "a dictator without elections".
The US president later abandoned this claim.
"Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question," he said to reporters.
Is it legal to hold elections during a war?
In many countries, the law explicitly forbids conducting elections during states of emergency such as wars, pandemics and significant natural disasters.
Generally, democratic guidelines support the "time-limited" postponement of elections during emergencies that threaten human life and security.
Elections also shouldn't be conducted if there is any risk to electoral integrity or democratic principles, experts said.
"[People] must be able to stand for election without impediment," said Donald Rothwell, a professor of international law at Australian National University.
"Elections must be conducted without fear of intimidation of both candidates and citizens.
"And the results of elections and the way in which ballots are counted must also be free and fair without any level of bias or any concerns about corruption."
Is it safe to hold elections during a war?
There can be significant barriers to conducting "safe and fair" elections during a war.
Many voters are displaced from their homes or facing daily threats to their security, plus it can be tough to access polling booths.
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) says it can also be difficult to guarantee "democratic standards" during a war.
This includes media freedom, political competition and independent oversight.
Ukrainians are facing many of these challenges.
According to UNHCR, the conflict has caused "immense" civilian suffering in Ukraine, as well as widespread destruction and one of the largest displacement crises in the world.
"It's ultimately not safe to conduct elections," Professor Rothwell said.
He says if Ukraine chose to hold a presidential election now, it could easily be disrupted by Russia — plus it would be extremely difficult for those in the Russian-occupied east to cast their vote.
It would be like Australia holding an election after Tasmania had been invaded and seized, he said.
"Would Australia tolerate an election being held at the Commonwealth level without the good people of Tasmania being able to vote?" Professor Rothwell said.
Have other countries postponed elections during a war?
History shows that many countries have chosen to postpone elections during wartime.
For example, during World War II, both the United Kingdom and France postponed their 1940 general elections until 1945.
Israel has also postponed several elections in the past, including delaying its first parliamentary elections in 1948 by a year amid the Arab-Israeli war.
Have other countries held elections during a war?
It is rare for countries to hold elections during active conflict, but there are some exceptions.
The United States held elections during the War of 1812, the Civil War, and both world wars.
But these conflicts never directly threatened the existence of the state or led to a declaration of martial law, according to International IDEA.
Iraq's 2005 elections also occurred despite ongoing conflict, as did Afghanistan's in 2004 and 2009.
But the legitimacy of these elections has since been called into question due to widespread violence and voter intimidation at the time, as well as low voter turnout and electoral fraud concerns.
What's next?
While Mr Trump has been pushing for peace talks between Mr Zelenskyy and Mr Putin, there's some scepticism that this will actually happen, given the Russian president's past resistance to meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart.
Even if a ceasefire was reached, Professor Rothwell said it would still be difficult for Ukraine to hold elections.
"A ceasefire can be temporary and result in the sudden resumption of hostilities," he said.
Professor Rothwell said ultimately, a peace agreement is needed.
"Then there would be a reasonable expectation from most quarters around the world that an election would be held," he said.
"But what is a reasonable expectation given the state of Ukraine, given the impact of the war?"
