Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo credit: AP
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that holding elections during the ongoing war with Russia could fracture the country and even “destroy” it, as fresh calls grow for Kyiv to hold a vote despite martial law. Zelenskyy was responding to a call by ousted former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov for Ukraine to find a way to organise fresh elections despite the ongoing conflict. Fedorov’s demand has emerged as a direct challenge to Zelenskyy’s leadership. He later warned that an election held under current conditions could further fracture the country. The issue has nevertheless gained fresh prominence after Fedorov’s call for a wartime vote.
Zelenskyy has previously faced similar demands from Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump.
Only 15 percent of Ukrainians believe elections should be held before the end of hostilities, according to an opinion poll cited by AFP. Earlier, Zelenskyy had said France had agreed to provide at least one SAMP/T air-defence system, while Germany would supply about 600 PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors in 2027-28. The Ukrainian president also said he believed Russia could seek to mobilise another 300,000 soldiers after parliamentary elections in September, according to the Guardian.
Zelenskyy said he would support an election if Ukraine’s allies could establish “specific conditions” to ensure it was safe, legitimate and democratic. French President Emmanuel Macron separately said he had agreed to strengthen support for Ukraine, including interceptor missiles.