Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed calls to hold wartime elections.
On Aug. 23, local time, AFP and Reuters reported that, two days before the 35th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence Day, Zelenskyy said at a press briefing, "Elections in such a wartime situation can pose enormous risks. If we were to hold elections right now, it would be a tsunami that would divide Ukraine."
Zelenskyy added, "If we want to destroy the country, we could move in the direction of holding wartime elections."
This appears to be a public rebuttal to the Aug. 18 demand by former defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov to hold wartime elections. In a YouTube video at the time, the former Minister said, "Democracy must not be held hostage by Russia," and, "Even in a protracted war, we must find a legal, safe and realistic way for Ukraine to resume a fully democratic process."
Earlier, last month, the former Minister Fedorov was abruptly dismissed. Because he was regarded as having successfully led a war strategy centered on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, drones), the dismissal decision fueled a strong backlash in public opinion against Zelenskyy.
The election issue threatens Zelenskyy's legitimacy. Zelenskyy, who won the presidential election in May 2019 and took office, should have completed his five-year term in May 2024. But he has remained in office without holding elections, citing martial law imposed after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In this context, a poll released early this month by the Social Research Center of Ukraine (Socis) found that Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the ambassador to the United Kingdom and Zelenskyy's political rival, ranked No. 1 in trust. The former Minister Fedorov followed at No. 2. Zelenskyy, by contrast, came in at No. 6.
Zelenskyy on the day expressed displeasure toward the former Minister Fedorov, who defied him, saying, "He is either going in the wrong direction on his own or being pushed by someone." He also criticized the large protests against Fedorov's dismissal as "disrespectful to soldiers," asking rhetorically, "Since when did marketing become more important than people who risk their lives?"
He also hinted at friction with the former Minister Fedorov over using SpaceX's Starlink satellite network for operations inside Russian territory. Earlier this year, the former Minister reported that he had received permission from SpaceX owner Elon Musk to use Starlink inside Russia, and that all that remained was final approval from U.S. President Donald Trump. But Zelenskyy said that after he shared the matter, Trump responded, "Musk refused to allow Starlink to be used on Russian territory, and you deceived me," which he argued hurt relations with the White House.
Finally, Zelenskyy said he proposed a cease-fire to Russia to halt attacks on grain-shipping vessels transiting the Black Sea, but Russia rejected it while demanding guarantees banning strikes on its energy infrastructure. He also appealed that Ukraine's defense expenditure in the first half of this year exceeded expectations, requiring an additional $27 billion (about 3.742 trillion won).