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Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Tuesday called for Ukraine to restore elections despite the ongoing war with Russia, arguing that democracy should not be suspended indefinitely and urging authorities to develop a secure and legally viable voting system.
Speaking in an address on his YouTube channel, Fedorov said Russia should not be allowed to determine when Ukrainians can again choose their government.
“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state,” he said.
Fedorov said any wartime election system would need to protect voting rights for military personnel, millions of Ukrainians living abroad and residents of frontline regions.
He also stressed the need to ensure election security, independent institutions and public confidence in the results.
Fedorov said Ukraine had repeatedly achieved outcomes that many had previously considered impossible and could also find a solution for holding elections during wartime.
“Ukraine has already done many times what the world considered impossible. We can find a solution to this situation too, because democracy is not a peacetime luxury,” he said.
“Democracy is part of what we are fighting for today.”
Ukraine postponed its presidential election, originally scheduled for 2024, because martial law remains in effect as the war with Russia continues.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s term ended in May 2024, and the delay in holding an election has become a source of tension with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has criticized the postponement.
Fedorov also focused on corruption, describing it as a critical wartime issue with direct consequences for Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.
He said stolen funds could translate into drones that were not purchased, ammunition that failed to arrive, air defense systems that were not deployed, or technologies that never entered production.
“Corruption during wartime is not simply a financial problem. It is a question of our ability to survive and win,” he said.
Fedorov described corruption as a symptom of a wider “systemic governance crisis.”
He accused what he called the old system of protecting itself, resisting change, rewarding loyalty and preserving inefficient structures.
Fedorov’s dismissal came as part of a broader government reshuffle initiated by Zelenskyy in mid-July, which sparked protests across Ukraine.
Zelenskyy acknowledged tensions between the Defense Ministry and the General Staff, saying disagreements went beyond reported personal differences between Fedorov and Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Fedorov’s latest remarks placed elections, democratic legitimacy and governance reform at the center of his argument that Ukraine must preserve democratic institutions even while fighting a prolonged war.
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