Holding election in wartime would risk destroying Ukraine, says Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy says wartime elections could ‘destroy’ Ukraine

The embattled Ukrainian president slams Mykhailo Fedorov's idea as a 'tsunami' that would 'split' the country.

Aug 23, 2026

Holding election in wartime would risk destroying Ukraine, says Zelenskyy

President sharply criticises proposal, saying ‘elections right now are a tsunami for the state that will split Ukraine’ Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said holding elections in Ukraine during wartime would risk splitting the country at a time when Russia is amassing ballistic missiles and considering whether to mobilise an extra 300,000 soldiers. The Ukrainian president, responding for the first time to a demand made by the sacked former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, sharply criticised an idea tha

Aug 23, 2026

Zelensky says wartime election would ‘destroy’ Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday said that holding elections amid Russia’s war with Ukraine would “destroy” the country. “I believe that ​if we want to destroy the country, then we can move towards elections ​during this kind of war,” Zelensky told reporters. The president said that elections “in general pose major risks,” noting that…

Aug 24, 2026