Zelenskyy says holding elections during war would 'destroy' Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that holding elections during the ongoing war would be destructive and divisive for the country. His comments follow a public call for elections by former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Why it matters
The debate over wartime elections touches on the stability of democratic processes during existential national crises.
His comments, released to reporters on Sunday, were Zelenskyy's first on the subject since ousted former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for a wartime poll , in a bombshell address last week.
Fedorov's surprise dismissal last month sparked widespread protests, but supporters calling for his reinstatement later balked at his call for an election — the first such demand by a major Ukrainian political figure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
"I believe that if we want to destroy the country, then we can move toward elections during this kind of war," Zelenskyy said.
Elections in war are prohibited by Ukrainian law. Analysts also say security concerns and the millions of Ukrainians abroad, under Russian occupation or fighting at the front, mean it would be too difficult to hold an election.
Zelenskyy faces election call from the popular defence minister he fired
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