Zelensky says wartime elections would 'split' Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that holding elections during the ongoing war would be too dangerous and could potentially "split Ukraine." His remarks come after a call from his former defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, to organize a vote.

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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.

"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 comments made public on Sunday. Ukrainian law currently prohibits holding elections while the country is under martial law.

Fedorov, who was unexpectedly fired from the Defense Ministry in July, had argued for wartime elections, stating that Ukraine faced a crisis of governance. This represents the most significant internal challenge to Zelensky's leadership since Russia's invasion in 2022. "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," Fedorov stated in a video address, urging the development of a legal and safe mechanism to allow Ukraine's democratic process to continue even during a prolonged conflict.

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Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia.

In addition to the election debate, Zelensky also indicated that Ukraine believes Russia is planning to mobilize an additional 300,000 troops. He suggested that Russia could draft hundreds of thousands more in 2027, with the primary objective of capturing the remainder of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

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We must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to renew its full democratic process even in the conditions of a long war.