Ukraine’s dismissed defence minister calls for wartime presidential election

Ukraine’s former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has publicly urged the government to hold a presidential election despite ongoing war, marking the most direct political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

In a nine-minute video address released Tuesday evening, Fedorov argued that Ukraine must “restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war,” emphasizing that democracy should not be sacrificed to wartime conditions. While he did not name Zelenskyy directly, Fedorov criticized what he described as a dysfunctional state struggling with corruption and opaque decision-making, suggesting that leadership appointments were increasingly based on loyalty rather than competence.

Fedorov, who served as digital minister from 2019 until January and briefly as defence minister until July, contended that Ukraine could simultaneously wage war and conduct national elections. He warned that public trust erodes when reforms stall and key positions are filled without clear justification, stating, “It is particularly dangerous when society develops the feeling that the main criterion for an appointment is not professionalism, results or the ability to transform the country, but personal loyalty to the system.”

Ukrainian presidential elections have been suspended since martial law was imposed at the start of the invasion, though Zelenskyy’s five-year term technically ended in May 2024. While international pressure, including from former U.S. President Donald Trump, has called for elections, domestic sentiment has largely favored postponing polls until after active hostilities cease.

Fedorov’s dismissal last month followed a dispute with military commander Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, sparking street protests and the eventual removal of Syrskyi. His replacement, acting defence minister Yevhen Khmara, is set to be confirmed by parliament on Wednesday, though political analysts question the feasibility of elections amid continued Russian airstrikes.

Artem Bronzhukov, a Ukrainian political analyst, noted that while there is broad support for elections in principle, the practical challenges of ensuring voter safety during active warfare remain unresolved. “Today there is no clear understanding of how to ensure people’s safety in the context of a full-scale war,” he said, adding that many Ukrainians believe elections should only occur once the most intense phase of fighting subsides.