Zelenskiy was responding to comments by US President Donald Trump in which he questioned Ukraine's democracy and suggested the Ukrainian leader was using the war as an excuse not to hold an election.
Zelenskiy told reporters late on Tuesday that he was "ready" for an election but would need help from the US and possibly Europe to ensure security for a vote to happen.
He suggested that Ukraine could be ready to hold balloting in 60 to 90 days if that proviso is met.
"To hold elections, two issues must be addressed: primarily, security - how to conduct them, how to do it under strikes, under missile attacks; and a question regarding our military - how they would vote," Zelenskiy said.
"And the second issue is the legislative framework required to ensure the legitimacy of elections," he said.
Previously, Zelenskiy had pointed out that a ballot could not legally take place while martial law imposed due to Russia's invasion nearly four years ago was in place.
He has also asked how a vote could happen when civilian areas of Ukraine are being bombarded by Russia and almost 20 per cent of the country is under Russian occupation.
Zelenskiy said he had asked legislators from his party in parliament to draw up legislative proposals that would allow elections while Ukraine was under martial law.
Ukrainians have on the whole supported Zelenskiy's arguments, and there has been no clamour in Ukraine for an election.
Under the Ukrainian law that is in force, Zelenskiy's rule is legitimate.
But with Trump pressing hard for a deal between Kyiv and Moscow, Zelenskiy is walking a tightrope between defending Ukrainian interests and showing the American president that he is willing to make some compromises.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly complained that Zelenskiy cannot legitimately negotiate a peace settlement because his five-year term in office that began in 2019 has expired.
"I think it's an important time to hold an election. They're using war not to hold an election," Trump said in an interview with Politico, echoing Moscow's stance.
A new US national security strategy released last Friday made it clear that Trump wanted to improve America's relationship with Moscow and "re-establish strategic stability with Russia".
The document also portrays European allies as weak.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday praised Trump's role in the Ukraine peace effort, saying in a speech at the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, that Moscow appreciates his "commitment to dialogue".
Trump, Lavrov said, is "the only Western leader" who shows "an understanding of the reasons that made war in Ukraine inevitable".
While Trump's decisions are likely to be pivotal for Ukraine, Washington's peace efforts have run into sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.
Trump's initial peace proposal was heavily slanted toward Russia's demands.
To counter that, Zelenskiy has turned to his European supporters.
