Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that holding elections in Ukraine during wartime could split the country at a time when Russia is building up ballistic missiles and considering whether to call up an additional 300,000 soldiers.
The Ukrainian president, responding for the first time to a demand from the dismissed former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, strongly criticised the idea, saying it was not practical given that Russia appeared to have no interest in a ceasefire.
“I believe that if we want to destroy the country, then during such a war we can move in the direction of elections,” Zelenskyy said in a briefing to selected journalists on Saturday, with details reported on Sunday.
“I believe that during such a war, elections in general are a big risk. Elections right now would be a tsunami for the state that would split Ukraine,” he said, adding that his goal was to end the war and keep Ukraine as an independent state.
Elections have been suspended in Ukraine since martial law was imposed at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy’s five-year term ended in May 2024, but until recently there had been little desire in Ukraine to hold a vote while the war continued.
That changed when Fedorov, a popular minister who had been dismissed by Zelenskyy a month earlier, called for a new election. It was the most open challenge to Zelenskyy’s authority from inside Ukraine since the Russian invasion began.
According to a transcript from the briefing, Zelenskyy said that if Ukraine’s allies were to set out “specific conditions” under which elections could be held safely, legitimately, and democratically, he would support them.
That would require “the participation of the military, in frontline territories, abroad, where millions of our citizens have gone, fleeing the war,” and a vote would have to take place safely “without strikes and shelling,” he said.
He added that Fedorov had been removed from his post because he had overstepped, trying to take on functions that belonged to the military. The president said Fedorov had been offered four alternative government jobs but turned them all down.
Zelenskyy said Russia had a stockpile of 600-630 high-speed ballistic missiles, its most powerful type of weapon, and was trying to produce just over 100 more each month as winter approached. Its maximum production capacity was 1,300 per year, he added.
Ballistic missiles have been used to bomb Ukrainian infrastructure and warehouses and to attack the capital, causing more civilian casualties. There is a shortage of US-made Patriot interceptors, the only weapon that can effectively counter them.
“I wanted to secure 300 Patriot missiles for the winter package. The request from our air force is 360,” Zelenskyy said. He acknowledged this was difficult given that only about 600 of the most capable PAC-3 interceptor missiles are made each year. He said he had reached an agreement with France on at least one SAMP/T air-defence system this year, and with Germany on the supply of about 600 PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors in 2027-28.
The US could help by supplying “some small percentage” of its stockpiles – about 5% to 10%, he added. Ukraine was willing to pay, and it would mean the country “could get through the winter,” he said, calling on the US to make what would be “a very significant difference both in protecting lives and diplomatically.”
Following a conversation with Zelenskyy on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had agreed to strengthen French support for Ukraine, including through the delivery of interceptor missiles, without giving further details.
Ukraine’s allies in the so-called coalition of the willing – an initiative led by France and Britain – will meet on Monday to look at how to increase pressure on Russia.Moscow is expected to halt its invasion. Russia is planning to strengthen its forces in an attempt to capture the remaining parts of the eastern Donetsk province that it doesn’t already control by the end of the year. However, Zelenskyy expressed confidence that Moscow would fail to take the area, which mainly includes the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
The president also said he believes Russia will try to draft an additional 300,000 soldiers after the parliamentary elections in September. He described this as a “peripheral mobilisation,” carried out away from Moscow, St Petersburg, and other major cities, in an effort to regain momentum on the nearly stalled frontline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the statement from President Zelenskyy regarding elections during wartime
General Background Questions
1 Why is Zelenskyy saying that holding elections right now is dangerous
Because Ukraine is under fullscale invasion Holding a nationwide vote would require millions of soldiers to leave the front lines to vote and would create massive slowmoving crowds of civilians that are easy targets for Russian missiles and drones It would also paralyze the government at a time when it needs to make splitsecond decisions
2 Is it illegal to hold elections during martial law in Ukraine
Yes Ukrainian law explicitly prohibits holding presidential or parliamentary elections while martial law is in effect The constitution and election code state that elections cannot be held during this time so changing the date would require a constitutional change which is also not possible during wartime
3 When will Ukraine be able to hold elections again
Zelenskyy has stated that elections will happen as soon as the martial law is lifted which will happen after the war ends and security is guaranteed He has also suggested they could happen sooner if Western partners provide security guarantees and a fair peace is achieved but not during active hot combat
4 Doesnt a democracy need elections to function
Yes but democracies also have protocols for national emergencies Most democratic nations postpone elections during major wars or natural disasters to ensure the survival of the state Ukraines government argues that defending the country is the ultimate act of democracy and that holding elections now would help Russia destroy the state
Practical Logistical Questions
5 How would the soldiers actually vote if they are in trenches
It would be a logistical nightmare You would need to set up secure mobile polling stations on the front lines which would require moving equipment and personnel into artillery range Alternatively youd have to rotate hundreds of thousands of soldiers back home which would weaken the defense lines and allow Russia to break through
6 What about Ukrainians living in occupied territories or living as refugees abroad
Millions of citizens are in Russianoccupied areas or have fled to Europe Setting up a secure fair vote for these people is nearly impossible Russia could force people to vote in occupied areas or block access making the election result illegitimate Overseas voting would require massive diplomatic coordination that simply isnt feasible during a war
