Zelenskyy Says a Wartime Election Would ‘Destroy’ Ukraine—After His Former Defense Chief Called for One
Ukraine’s president has issued his sharpest warning yet against holding a national election while the country remains at war, saying a vote now could fracture the nation instead of strengthening its democracy.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said an election during active fighting with Russia could “destroy the country,” according to comments released to reporters on Sunday, August 23. His warning came days after Mykhailo Fedorov—his recently dismissed defense minister and a onetime close ally—called for Ukrainians to vote before the war ends.
The dispute has turned a government reshuffle into a much larger argument over wartime leadership, democratic legitimacy and whether millions of Ukrainians could safely and fairly take part in an election.
Why Zelenskyy says voting now is too dangerous
Under Ukrainian law, national elections cannot be conducted while martial law remains in force. Even if lawmakers changed that restriction, the practical barriers would be enormous: hundreds of thousands of troops are deployed, millions of citizens are abroad or displaced, parts of the country remain under Russian occupation and cities continue to face missile and drone attacks.
Zelenskyy called an election now a “tsunami for the state” that could divide Ukrainians. He said his priority is to end the war while preserving an independent and sovereign country, according to Reuters.
He did leave one narrow possibility open: Ukraine’s international partners would have to present a workable plan guaranteeing security. Zelenskyy said no such proposal has been offered.
How Fedorov’s dismissal became a political rupture
Fedorov, known for pushing military technology and drone innovation, was dismissed in July. The decision triggered protests in Kyiv and other cities from supporters demanding his reinstatement.
Those demonstrations later diminished, especially after Fedorov called for a wartime election. Some protesters told Reuters that replacing the government through an election was not why they had taken to the streets.
Ukraine’s parliament has since approved Maj. Gen. Yevhenii Khmara as defense minister. Fedorov has not said whether he would run for president in a future election, although he is widely viewed as a possible political challenger to Zelenskyy.
The split also includes disagreements about defense management. In a separate account reported by the Associated Press, Zelenskyy said inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry contributed to an uncomfortable discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump concerning the proposed use of Starlink over Russian territory. Zelenskyy did not directly accuse Fedorov of lying.
What Ukrainians say about an election
Current public opinion does not show a strong appetite for immediate voting. An August 5 survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 57% of Ukrainians want elections held only after the fighting ends, Reuters reported.
Zelenskyy’s approval has remained around 60%, even as Ukrainians express interest in new political leadership over the longer term. The central problem is timing: a vote held without safe access for soldiers, displaced families and citizens living under occupation could be challenged as incomplete or illegitimate.
What happens next
No wartime election has been scheduled, and Fedorov’s call does not itself trigger one. For now, the clash exposes a growing political question that Ukraine has largely postponed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022: when can the country return to normal democratic competition without allowing the election process to deepen wartime divisions?
Fedorov is expected to pursue defense-technology projects and seek funding in the United States, according to a separate Reuters report. His political future remains uncertain, but his break with Zelenskyy has already pushed Ukraine’s election debate into the open.
