KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that holding a wartime election while active fighting with Russia continues would “destroy” the country by splitting Ukrainians, reports BritPanorama.
His remarks, made to reporters on Sunday, were the first since the ousted former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for a wartime poll in a surprising address last week.
Fedorov’s unexpected dismissal last month ignited significant protests, yet supporters advocating for his reinstatement later rejected his push for an election—the first demand of its kind from a prominent Ukrainian political figure since Russia commenced its full-scale invasion in 2022.
“I believe that if we want to destroy the country, then we can move towards elections during this kind of war,” Zelenskyy stated.
Ukrainian law prohibits elections during wartime. Analysts highlight that various security concerns, along with millions of Ukrainians being abroad, under Russian occupation, or engaged in fighting, render holding an election impractical.
Elections would split Ukraine, Zelenskyy says
Zelenskyy’s approval rating has remained generally stable at around 60%, but polling shows that although Ukrainians desire new political leaders, there is minimal appetite for voting in the current climate. An August 5 survey from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicated that 57% of respondents preferred elections only after hostilities cease.
Reiterating his previous stance, Zelenskyy mentioned that a wartime election could be feasible if Kyiv’s allies could assure security, yet no such proposal has materialized. “Elections right now are a tsunami for the state, which will split Ukraine,” he expressed, adding, “That’s why my strategy is to steer the country toward an ending of the war and to preserve an independent and sovereign state.”
Fedorov, a long-time ally of Zelenskyy considered a potential political rival, did not clarify whether he would run in any future election.
Zelenskyy says minister was misguided
In his expansive remarks, Zelenskyy described some actions taken by Fedorov as misguided and publicly outlined their disagreement for the first time. “I really had and still have a very positive attitude toward Mykhailo. We have been through a lot together. But I believe that he himself goes, or is pushed, into the wrong things,” Zelenskyy said.
The president revealed he had proposed four different options for Fedorov to continue his work in government, to which Fedorov allegedly declined all.
Zelenskyy appeared to connect Fedorov to a controversial incident involving Starlink and Elon Musk. Earlier this year, according to Zelenskyy, the Defense Ministry indicated that SpaceX was permitting Ukraine to use Starlink over Russian territory for strategic operations, pending political clearance. He said he raised the matter directly with U.S. President Donald Trump, mentioning Musk’s confirmation of the proposed use.
However, Zelenskyy recounted that during a subsequent meeting, Trump informed him that Musk had rejected the plan and accused Zelenskyy of misleading him, claiming Musk viewed the proposal as a potential escalation.
“He said that I had supposedly deceived him because Musk had denied Ukraine the use of Starlink on Russian territory. I went back to our Ministry of Defense and they said that maybe it was so,” he reflected.
Zelenskyy refrained from directly accusing Fedorov of dishonesty, noting this episode contributed to “some of the steps” taken against him. The president also criticized the vilification of former army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, whom he dismissed, alongside current Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Yevhen Khmara, stating they have received undue harsh treatment.
“Maybe someone doesn’t like Syrskyi for one reason or another. But the slogans ‘Syrskyi is the devil, Khmara is the devil,’… this is too much,” he asserted. He emphasized the importance of not mistreating military leaders, especially those who enabled peaceful protests in the capital.
Pressure on defense budget but military successes
Zelenskyy described significant financial stress on Ukraine’s defense operations, revealing a $27 billion budget shortfall as earlier spending decisions had accelerated the use of funds initially allocated for the latter half of 2026.
Touching upon a corruption investigation that prompted his dismissal of a high-ranking official earlier this week, he asserted that anti-corruption authorities did not implicate him. Investigators named a deputy head of the presidential office among suspects in a money-laundering inquiry.
“The heads of anti-corruption agencies have zero questions for me. They understand perfectly well that I am not involved in anything like that. And this is important to me,” he remarked.
On the military front, Zelenskyy expressed optimism, stating that Ukraine has nearly regained total control of the Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about 10 square kilometers still outside its reach. He noted another operation was underway, with results anticipated by the month’s end.
Zelenskyy forecasted that by the end of 2026, Ukraine could achieve a balance between the territory occupied by Russia this year and areas recovered by Ukrainian forces. He indicated that Russia has occupied approximately 990 square kilometers since January, while Ukraine has reclaimed about 820 square kilometers.
The president highlighted that Russia’s primary objective remains the Konstantynivka-Sloviansk-Kramatorsk axis, insisting Moscow is still demanding that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas region as a precondition for any settlement.
Still struggling for access to Patriot missiles
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine is receiving significantly fewer Patriot interceptor missiles even as Russian missile strikes escalate. He reported that Ukraine received 675 Patriot missiles in 2023 but expects this number to decline to 364 in 2025 and 264 in 2026. He aims to secure an additional 300 Patriot missiles for the upcoming winter, while the Air Force has requested 360.
This shortfall is exacerbated by U.S. and European partners’ challenges in increasing production capacity. “I hope we can obtain even 5% or 10% of U.S. reserves and we are prepared to pay for them,” he added.
Furthermore, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Russia could potentially increase its annual ballistic missile production to 1,300, compared to an estimated 600 currently. He argued that Ukraine is also developing alternatives to Starlink, including a European communications initiative, in response to Russian and Chinese efforts to create their systems.
