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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected calls to hold elections while the country remains at war with Russia, warning that a wartime vote would pose a major risk and could divide 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,” Zelenskyy said in remarks made public Sunday.
“If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of elections during these times of war,” he added.
Ukraine has suspended elections under martial law since Russia launched its invasion in 2022, a policy that continues to receive broad public support.
Zelenskyy made the comments Saturday during a briefing with journalists, including AFP, his first such meeting in months amid a series of political disputes.
The comments followed a surprise call by former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov to find a way to organize elections during the war.
Fedorov, who was recently dismissed by Zelenskyy, did not present a specific roadmap, and even some of his supporters distanced themselves from the proposal.
Experts have cited major obstacles to holding elections, including how soldiers, millions of Ukrainian refugees and residents of Russian-occupied territories could vote, as well as the risk of Russian disinformation.
A Kyiv Institute of Sociology poll found that only 15% of Ukrainians supported holding elections before hostilities end.
Zelenskyy criticized Fedorov during the briefing, saying, “I believe he is going himself—or is being pushed—toward wrong things.”
Fedorov had been a prominent supporter of Ukraine’s drone warfare strategy and pushed for military reforms, but he clashed with the military command and its more traditional approach.
Much of the public initially backed Fedorov and called for the dismissal of commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainians had the right to protest but warned against what he called disrespectful attitudes toward military personnel.
“Since when has marketing started to outweigh the people who are giving their lives?” he said.
“I believe that society and soldiers must not be divided,” Zelenskyy added. “We must acknowledge that there is this risk—that there may be movement in that direction, toward dangerous developments.”
His remarks came ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Monday, when several international leaders are expected to attend events.
Ukraine’s allies are also expected to discuss strengthening the country’s air defenses as Kyiv and other cities face daily Russian missile and drone attacks.
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