Sacked Ukrainian Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Presidential Election
Former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov says Ukraine must not let war put democracy on hold as political and corruption tensions deepen in Kyiv.
- Fedorov calls for elections despite martial law.
- Zelensky’s office rejects the idea as unrealistic.
- Anti-corruption agencies launch a major operation.
Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for presidential elections to be held during the ongoing war with Russia, mounting one of the most significant challenges to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
In a video posted on YouTube on Tuesday, Fedorov, 35, argued that Ukraine’s democratic system should not be suspended because of the war.
“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia,” he said, stressing that Ukraine was fighting to remain a free European state.
Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, and elections have been suspended under the wartime arrangements.
Fedorov, who did not directly mention Zelensky in his video, was unexpectedly dismissed as defence minister last month, only six months after taking up the position. His removal triggered protests in several parts of the country.
Zelensky has not publicly responded to Fedorov’s call. However, a source in the presidential office told the BBC that holding elections while Ukraine is under attack would be unrealistic.
