Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Fedorov Recorded A Message

• 19.08.2026, 10:09

He called for elections.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for finding a way to hold elections even during wartime and sharply criticized the current Ukrainian government.

Fedorov, who is considered one of Ukraine’s most popular politicians, published an address to the nation on his YouTube channel.

“If the war continues for another year, or two or three, could Russia effectively gain the right to determine when Ukrainians will once again be able to elect their government? I am certain that it will not,” Fedorov said in his address.

“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state. Therefore, we must find a legitimate, safe, and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to resume a full-fledged democratic process even in the midst of a protracted war,” the former minister noted.

Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly insisted that holding elections during martial law is impossible and is expressly prohibited by Ukrainian law.

In this context, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pointed out that millions of Ukrainians have fled the war to the west of the country and abroad, and that about 20% of the country’s territory is under Russian occupation.

Furthermore, holding elections in Ukraine was one of Moscow’s initial demands in its negotiations with the new U.S. administration led by Donald Trump.

Fedorov’s statement was published shortly after Zelenskyy officially asked the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to appoint Yevhen Khmara as Ukraine’s new defense minister; Khmara had been serving as acting head of the defense ministry following Fedorov’s resignation.