Fedorov's call for wartime elections

Ukraine's former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime presidential elections, in what multiple outlets describe as the most direct political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. In a video address posted on YouTube on Tuesday evening, the 35-year-old said: "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. 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."

Fedorov, who was dismissed from his post in July after just six months in the job, also warned of a "systemic crisis of governance" and condemned corruption among officials, without naming individuals. He argued that the country could fight the war and hold a national poll, acknowledging the need to ensure voting rights for soldiers, Ukrainians abroad, and those in front-line regions. He did not say whether he would stand for election, though a recent poll suggested he would defeat Zelenskyy in a runoff.

Political and legal context

Ukrainian law prohibits holding elections during wartime, and martial law has been in place since the invasion began. Zelenskyy's five-year term ended in May 2024, but no vote has been held. US President Donald Trump has previously pushed for an election, though relations have since improved, according to The Guardian.

Fedorov's call came hours before parliament was due to vote on his permanent successor. Zelenskyy nominated acting Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara for the role, and lawmakers approved the appointment on Wednesday. Parliament also gave consent for Andrii Sybiha to remain as foreign minister.

Protests and fallout

Fedorov's dismissal last month triggered protests across Ukraine. In Kyiv, demonstrators have gathered outside the president's office for over a month, with a march on Sunday drawing around 2,000 people chanting Fedorov's name. Zelenskyy had earlier also dismissed the commander-in-chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was replaced by the younger Mykhailo Drapatyi.

Political analysts have questioned the practicality of holding elections under current conditions, given that millions of Ukrainians are exiled, about a million serve in the armed forces, and a fifth of the country remains occupied. Artem Bronzhukov, a political analyst quoted by The Guardian, said there is a deep-rooted view that elections should only be held after the hot phase of the war.

Corruption investigation adds pressure

On Wednesday, Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies—the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO)—announced they were investigating a group of people alleged to have laundered 150 million hryvnias ($3.4 million) to pay bail for a defendant in a major graft case last year. The case involved the state-owned nuclear power company and led to the resignations of the justice and energy ministers.

The suspects reportedly include a former lawmaker, the chairperson of a state bank's board, the head of the bank's supervisory board, and a deputy head of the presidential office. President Zelenskyy issued a decree dismissing Iryna Mudra as deputy head of the Office of the President, though investigators have not named her as a suspect. Lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko said investigators searched Mudra's office on Wednesday.

This is not the first corruption scandal to touch Zelenskyy's inner circle. Last year, his chief of staff Andriy Yermak resigned and was later named as a suspect in a graft probe involving a luxury construction project, according to several outlets. The European Union has identified corruption as a major hurdle to Ukraine's membership bid.

No immediate comment from Zelenskyy's office

Zelenskyy's office had no immediate comment on Fedorov's video address. The president has not publicly responded to the call for elections, which some experts have described as a "fundamental challenge" to his leadership. Orysia Lutsevych of Chatham House, quoted by The Guardian, said the street protests act as a "check on the president," but warned of "nervous exhaustion" and the risk of a "perfect powder box."

Perspectives

Orysia Lutsevych, Chatham House (via The Guardian):"The street is a check on the president. But there is a sense of nervous exhaustion—a perfect powder box."

Olena Tregub, Independent Defence Anti-Corruption Commission (via The Guardian):"Corruption is a symptom, not the cause. The cause is bad governance."

Michael Clarke, defence expert (via Daily Mirror):"Today is the biggest, or most dangerous, day for him since the 24th February, 2022."