Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky walks in front of the guard of honor during a ceremony marking the National Flag Day of Ukraine in Kyiv on August 23, 2026, amid Russian invaion of Ukraine. (AFP photo)
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks made public on Aug. 23 that it would be too dangerous for Ukraine to hold an election while it fights Russia’s invasion, after a call by his former defense minister to organize a vote.
“I believe that in a war like this, elections as such are a huge risk. Elections right now are a tsunami for the country that will split Ukraine,” Zelensky said in the comments.
Ukraine has suspended elections under martial law, a measure still widely supported by the population as the country focuses on fighting off Russian forces.
“If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of elections during these times of war,” the 48-year-old leader added.
He held a briefing with a group of journalists on Aug. 22, the first in months amid several political crises.
The latest upheaval saw thousands take to the streets after Zelensky fired his defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov.
The ousted Fedorov this week made a surprise call to find a way to organize a vote, but without offering a roadmap and prompting even some of his supporters to distance themselves from him.
Experts have cited a flurry of obstacles, including how soldiers, millions of Ukrainian refugees and people from occupied territories would vote, as well as disinformation threats from Russia.
Only 15 percent of Ukrainians believe elections should be held before the end of hostilities, according to a poll by the Kiev Institute of Sociology.
Zelensky made numerous jab at his opponent during the briefing.
“I believe he is going himself, or is being pushed, toward wrong things,” Zelensky said of Fedorov.
The former minister had pushed for reforms but clashed with the military’s command and their traditionally stiff approach.
The public initially took his side and pushed for the dismissal of commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky.
Zelensky said people had the right to protest but warned against “disrespectful” attitudes to military people.
“Since when has marketing started to outweigh the people who are giving their lives?” he said.
After a political crisis that had weakened him, Zelensky was able to cast himself as a rampart against division.
“I believe that society and soldiers must not be divided,” he said, “We must acknowledge that there is this risk, that there may be movement in that direction, toward dangerous developments.”
Meanwhile, Fedorov said Zelensky has “questions to answer” about corruption in his government.
He told the BBC a money laundering investigation announced last week raised questions about Zelensky’s awareness of potential corruption in his inner circle.
He also said it was his “moral right” to start the conversation about elections.
“We should not be afraid of discussing it. That’s what democracy is all about. If I cannot share my ideas and be open about them with my own society, then what are we fighting for?”
If elections were never held, he said, “then we are no longer a democracy.”
