{"id":14200,"date":"2026-08-19T16:20:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T16:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=14200"},"modified":"2026-08-19T16:20:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T16:20:10","slug":"trouble-brewing-for-zelenskyy-ex-defence-minister-calls-for-wartime-polls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=14200","title":{"rendered":"Trouble brewing for Zelenskyy? Ex-defence minister calls for wartime polls"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133353259,imgsize-61516,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/zelenskyy.jpg\" alt=\"Trouble brewing for Zelenskyy? Ex-defence minister calls for wartime polls\" title=\"Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022\">Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ukraine\u2019s recently dismissed former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for presidential elections to be held despite the ongoing war with Russia, delivering one of the most direct political challenges to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>In a nine-minute video address posted online, Fedorov argued that Ukraine must restore a \u201cfull democratic process\u201d even while fighting Russia. \u201cDemocracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state,\u201d the 35-year-old said. Although he did not name Zelenskyy, his remarks amounted to a sharp criticism of the way the country is being governed, including concerns over corruption, appointments and a lack of accountability.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"6\"\/>Fedorov\u2019s intervention comes weeks after Zelenskyy abruptly removed him as defence minister, only six months after his appointment. His dismissal triggered rare wartime protests in Kyiv and has fuelled speculation about growing tensions within Ukraine\u2019s political establishment. Zelenskyy has not publicly responded to the call for elections.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/><span class=\"strong\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">Why Fedorov\u2019s election call matters<\/span><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, and elections are suspended under the country\u2019s legal framework. Zelenskyy\u2019s five-year presidential term formally expired in May 2024, but the continuation of martial law has prevented a vote from taking place.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>Fedorov argued that the prolonged war should not permanently put democratic politics on hold. \u201cWe must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war,\u201d he said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>The appeal could prove politically significant because Fedorov is not an outsider. <!-- -->A former digital minister and one of the prominent young reformers in Zelenskyy\u2019s team, he played a key role in Ukraine\u2019s wartime adoption of drone technology and other innovations. His sudden removal, reportedly amid tensions with military leadership, had already exposed divisions within the government.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>Recent polling cited in the material suggests Fedorov could emerge as a serious contender in a future presidential race. <!-- -->He was placed behind Zelenskyy and former armed forces chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi in a first-round scenario, but polling indicated that both Fedorov and Zaluzhnyi could defeat Zelenskyy in a run-off.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/><span class=\"strong\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">Why a wartime election would be extremely difficult<\/span><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>Holding an election while the war continues would present enormous logistical and security challenges. Russian missile and drone attacks regularly target Ukrainian cities, while fighting stretches across a front line of more than 1,200km.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>Millions of Ukrainians have also been displaced. More than 4 million are living under temporary protection in the European Union, while millions more are internally displaced. Around 1 million people are serving in Ukraine\u2019s defence forces, including personnel deployed near the frontline.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>The situation is further complicated by Russian occupation of roughly a fifth of Ukraine. Ensuring voting rights for people in occupied areas, protecting polling stations and preventing Russian interference would all require new legal and security arrangements.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/>A Ukrainian political analyst cited in the material said there was a deep-rooted view that elections were necessary, but only after the \u201chot phase\u201d of the war ended. Even Fedorov\u2019s supporters face the question of how a genuinely free and safe vote could be organised while Russian attacks continue.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/><span class=\"strong\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">Zelenskyy faces a wider political test<\/span><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/>Fedorov\u2019s intervention comes as Zelenskyy faces renewed scrutiny over corruption and the functioning of his administration. <!-- -->Ukraine\u2019s anti-corruption agencies have launched a probe involving current and former officials, including an unnamed official in the presidential office. Zelenskyy subsequently dismissed deputy presidential office head Iryna Mudra, although investigators have not named her as a suspect.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>The developments add to political pressure on a president whose popularity, while still significant, has fallen from its extraordinary wartime levels. The latest controversy also follows previous public anger over government attempts to curb the powers of anti-corruption agencies.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/europe\/trouble-brewing-for-zelenskyy-ex-defence-minister-calls-for-wartime-polls\/articleshow\/133353219.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 Ukraine\u2019s recently dismissed former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for presidential elections to be held despite the ongoing war with Russia, delivering one of the most direct political challenges to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the full-scale invasion began in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/zelenskyy.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 Ukraine\u2019s recently dismissed former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for presidential elections to be held despite the ongoing war with Russia, delivering one of the most direct political challenges to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the full-scale invasion began in [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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