Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for the country to hold elections on Tuesday despite a law banning them during the war.
The demand signals a growing internal political rift in Ukraine as the nation balances the need for wartime stability with democratic legitimacy.
Fedorov shared his call for elections in a video address posted to social media on Aug. 18 [1, 2, 3]. He said that democracy cannot be suspended indefinitely, even during an active conflict [1, 2, 3]. The former minister used the address to criticize the current administration's handling of the state.
Fedorov described the current political climate as a "systematic crisis of governance" [1]. He said the government oversaw "wartime corruption" [1].
Under current Ukrainian law, elections are prohibited while the country remains under martial law. This legal framework was established to ensure security and administrative focus during the ongoing conflict. However, Fedorov said that the lack of electoral accountability has allowed governance failures to persist [1, 2, 3].
Fedorov's public challenge comes after his departure from the defence ministry [2, 3]. His call for a vote puts pressure on the government to address transparency, and the timeline for returning to a full democratic process while the war continues [1, 2, 3].
“"Systematic crisis of governance"”
This development highlights a tension between the legal necessities of martial law and the political pressure for democratic renewal. By framing the issue as a crisis of governance and corruption, Fedorov is positioning the call for elections not just as a procedural request, but as a necessary corrective to internal instability during the war.
