Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for presidential elections to be held before the end of the war, in a video address to citizens, as reported by infohub.kz.
Fedorov said a mechanism must be found to hold elections during wartime. He stressed that Russia cannot determine when Ukrainians will again be able to elect their leaders.
“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state. Therefore, we must find a legal, safe, and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to resume a full-fledged democratic process even amid a prolonged war,” the former minister said.
Fedorov noted the need to ensure voting rights for military personnel, millions of Ukrainians abroad, and residents of frontline regions. He listed security of the electoral process, independence of institutions, and trust in the results as essential conditions.
“People cannot live indefinitely in a state where they don't know why certain decisions are made, why some reforms move forward while others are blocked, why decisions needed at the front today spend months going through offices,” he added.
Fedorov's video address came just hours after Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Yevhen Khmar as Minister of Defense.
In January, Mykhailo Fedorov, then Minister of Digital Transformation, and Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal submitted their resignations. Soon after, Zelensky proposed Fedorov to head the Defense Ministry, citing his work with drones and successes in digitalizing government services.
The Verkhovna Rada approved Fedorov as Defense Minister, but by July he confirmed the end of his tenure in that role, summarizing his achievements and stating he would continue his mission.
Earlier, in February, the Financial Times reported that Zelensky might announce plans to hold elections and a referendum before May 15 due to US pressure. Later, the Ukrainian president denied these rumors.