Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated that elections should not take place while the war with Russia continues, saying a wartime vote could pose risks to national unity and security.
Zelenskyy’s comments were the first on the subject since ousted former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for a wartime election last week.
“I believe elections during a war like this would generally pose enormous risks. Holding elections right now would be a tsunami for the state that would split Ukraine apart,” he said.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian law prohibits elections during wartime and that his priority remains ending the war while preserving Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. He also said no practical plan had been presented to guarantee a secure and democratic vote during the conflict.
The president additionally outlined Ukraine’s defence challenges, including shortages of Patriot interceptor missiles, and said Kyiv continues to seek greater support from international partners.
He said that Ukraine received 675 Patriot missiles in 2023, compared with 364 in 2025 and an expected 264 this year. Zelenskyy said that he wanted to secure 300 additional Patriot missiles for the coming winter, while Ukraine’s air force had requested 360.
Zelenskyy also reported continued battlefield progress, stating Ukrainian forces had regained most of the Dnipropetrovsk region, as Nordic and Baltic leaders visited Kyiv ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
