Zelenskyy rejects wartime election call

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls from his former defense minister for elections to be held during the war with Russia, warning that such a vote would pose a 'huge risk' and could '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,' Zelenskyy said during a briefing with selected journalists on Saturday, as reported by both Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle. He added: 'If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of elections during these times of war.'

The comments were Zelenskyy's first public response to former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who earlier this week called for a wartime vote in a video address. Fedorov, who was fired by Zelenskyy in July after just six months in the post, argued that Ukraine's democracy 'cannot be held hostage by Russia' and warned of a 'systemic crisis of governance,' according to Al Jazeera.

Elections suspended under martial law

Elections have been suspended in Ukraine since martial law was imposed at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Zelenskyy's five-year term formally ended in May 2024, but no vote has been held due to the ongoing conflict. Ukrainian law bans elections during wartime, a measure that had gone unchallenged until Fedorov's demand, several sources noted.

Zelenskyy said he would support holding elections if Ukraine's allies could establish 'specific conditions' to ensure they were safe, legitimate, and democratic. According to a transcript of the briefing, he said such a vote would require 'the participation of the military, in frontline territories, abroad, where millions of our citizens have gone, fleeing the war' and would have to take place 'without strikes and shelling.'

The Guardian reported that Fedorov's call was 'the most open challenge to Zelenskyy's authority from inside Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.' Zelenskyy also said Fedorov had overreached in his role and had been offered four alternative government jobs, which he declined.

Fedorov's popularity and political fallout

Fedorov, 35, built a strong following for his work on technology and drone innovation during the war. His dismissal last month sparked protests across Ukraine, with thousands calling for his reinstatement, particularly among younger Ukrainians, Deutsche Welle reported.

However, his election call drew immediate criticism from across the political spectrum. Politico Europe reported that one official in Zelenskyy's office sarcastically suggested: 'Let's wait out another massive Russian ballistic attack and then go vote.' Election monitoring expert Olga Aivazovska of OPORA pointed to practical obstacles, while MP Roman Lozynskyi said the initiative was divisive, adding: 'There is zero positive ... in this.'

Economist Timothy Ash called Fedorov's move 'an extraordinary political error of judgement,' according to Politico Europe.

Despite the criticism, polls suggest Fedorov retains significant trust among Ukrainians. A Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll cited by Politico Europe found that 63 percent of people regarded Fedorov as trustworthy, second only to former commander-in-chief Valeryi Zaluzhnyi, while Zelenskyy scored 56 percent. Other polling cited by Deutsche Welle and The Times of India indicated that a majority of Ukrainians — between 57 and 85 percent, depending on the survey — believe elections should be postponed until after the fighting ends.

Missile shortfalls and Russian mobilization concerns

Zelenskyy's rejection of the election call came amid a broader briefing in which he detailed Ukraine's military challenges. The Guardian reported that Russia has a stockpile of 600–630 high-speed ballistic missiles and is producing more than 100 per month, with a maximum annual capacity of 1,300. Ukraine's Air Force requested 360 Patriot missiles for the winter, but Zelenskyy sought to secure 300.

Al Jazeera reported that Ukraine received only 264 Patriot missiles in 2026, down from 364 in 2025 and 675 in 2023. The US could supply only 5–10 percent of its stockpiles of Patriot interceptors, Zelenskyy said, according to multiple outlets.

Zelenskyy said he had reached agreements with France on at least one SAMP/T air-defense system and with Germany on around 600 PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors for 2027–2028. Following a Saturday conversation, French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to strengthen French support, including through the delivery of interceptor missiles, The Guardian reported.

Zelenskyy also said he believed Russia planned to conscript an additional 300,000 soldiers after its parliamentary elections in September, as it seeks to capture the rest of eastern Donetsk province. The Guardian reported that Russia was considering 'peripheral mobilisation' and might draft hundreds of thousands more in 2027.

Funding and broader concerns

Al Jazeera reported that Ukraine faces a $27 billion defense funding gap this year, and needs at least $8 billion for a 'normal start' to 2027, with around $20 billion more for other spending. Norway has pledged 85 billion crowns ($9.2 billion) for the 2027 fiscal year, several outlets reported.

Russian strikes continued over the weekend. Al Jazeera reported that overnight Russian strikes in the Donetsk region killed two people, wounded two others, and damaged at least 141 private homes. Eight people, including a child, were wounded in a drone attack on Kharkiv, and a Russian drone hit a passenger train traveling from Zhytomyr to Odesa, with no casualties reported.

Perspectives

Zelenskyy and allies: Zelenskyy insists that holding elections during an active war would be practically impossible and would only benefit Russia. His supporters argue that martial law restrictions are justified and that Fedorov's call is irresponsible. Some, like analyst Volodymyr Fesenko, defend Zelenskyy's leadership style, saying he is not acting out of step with other major international leaders.

Fedorov and critics of the administration: Fedorov argues that Ukraine's democracy cannot be put on hold indefinitely, and that the government faces a 'systemic crisis of governance' marked by corruption and opaque decision-making. While his election call has been widely criticized, his broader critique of the administration has resonated with the public, and he enjoys significant trust among younger Ukrainians.