Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for elections to be held in Ukraine despite the country's continuing war with Russia, opening a public debate about the country's political governance.
In a video address posted on YouTube on Tuesday evening, Fedorov argued that Ukraine is facing a crisis of governability and also referred to incidents of corruption during the war.
According to Sky News, this is the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 that such a prominent political figure has openly called for elections.
Ukrainian legislation does not permit elections while martial law remains in force.
The 35-year-old Fedorov was a close associate of Volodymyr Zelenskyy for years before his unexpected removal from the defence ministry in July, around six months after taking office.
"Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," he said, arguing that the country should return to an electoral process despite wartime conditions.
BREAKING: Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for restoring elections even during a prolonged war, saying Ukraine must find a “legal, safe and realistic mechanism” to resume the democratic process.
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 18, 2026
He argued that “democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia”… pic.twitter.com/gb19llnI6R
Source: Sky News
