Defense Minister fired by Volodymyr Zelensky calls for elections: "Democracy cannot be a hostage"
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov calls for presidential elections in Ukraine even during the war against Russia: "We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European country."
Mykhailo Fedorov, the recently fired former Defense Minister of Ukraine, is calling for presidential elections to be held even during the war — in what is presented as the most direct political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelensky since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.
In a video speech posted online on Tuesday evening, Fedorov stated that Ukraine must "restore the full democratic process even during a prolonged war." According to him, "Democracy must not be a hostage of Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European country."
Although he did not mention Volodymyr Zelensky by name, Fedorov hinted that the current president is leading a country that is not functioning properly and is struggling to deal with corruption, despite the national state of emergency. "People cannot live endlessly in a country where they do not understand why certain decisions are made. Why some reforms are advancing while others are blocked," he said. He argued that Ukraine can continue to fight while simultaneously holding general elections.
Fedorov also warned against a situation where personal loyalty to the system becomes the main consideration in appointments. "It is especially dangerous when a feeling develops in society that the main criterion for an appointment is not professionalism, results, or the ability to change the country, but personal loyalty to the system," he noted.
Elections have been suspended since the invasion
Elections in Ukraine have been suspended since martial law was declared at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. Volodymyr Zelensky's five-year term ended in May 2024, but there has been little support in Ukraine for holding general elections as long as the war continues.
US President Donald Trump has previously demanded that Ukraine hold elections. However, the tense relations that existed between him and Volodymyr Zelensky have gradually improved over the past year, after Kyiv proved that it is capable of continuing to fight on the battlefield.
Fedorov, 35, served as Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation from 2019 until January and led the adoption of drones in the country during the war. After that, he served for a short period as Minister of Defense, in a role considered successful, until he was fired in July. His firing came unexpectedly as part of a government reshuffle following a dispute with the army commander, General Oleksandr Syrsky. Following his dismissal, protests broke out in the streets, which later led to the resignation of Oleksandr Syrsky, but there was no sign that Fedorov would be returned to his position.
On Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelensky officially appointed Yevhen Khamara, the acting Minister of Defense, to the position on a permanent basis. Yevhen Khamara's appointment requires the approval of the Ukrainian parliament, and a vote is expected to take place on Wednesday.
"There is no clear way to ensure the safety of citizens"
Artem Bronzukov, a Ukrainian political analyst, cast doubt on the practical possibility of holding elections while Russian bombings continue. "Today there is no clear understanding of how to ensure the safety of people in the context of total war," he stated.
According to him, there is an established position in Ukrainian society that elections are necessary, but only after the end of the intensive phase of the war. He added that the country remains a "fighting democracy," as evidenced by the protests that took place after Fedorov's resignation. On Sunday evening, the campaign was renewed during a special rally in which about 2,000 people participated, calling out: "Fedorov, Fedorov, Fedorov."
A poll conducted at the beginning of the month indicated that Fedorov would have reached third place in the first round of the presidential elections, with 13.1% of the votes. Before him were Volodymyr Zelensky with 22.3% and the former head of the armed forces, currently serving as Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, with 21.4%. The same poll, conducted by the "Socis" Center for Social Research, determined that in the second round, Volodymyr Zelensky would have lost to both Fedorov and Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
If Ukraine decides to hold elections, it will be required to deal with the fact that millions of people have left the country or were displaced from their homes since the beginning of the war, while more than a million people are serving in the armed forces, many of them at the front. In addition, about a fifth of the country's territory is under Russian occupation.
