Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected calls to hold elections during the ongoing Russian invasion, saying the vote would pose enormous risks to national stability. "I believe that in a war like this, elections as such are a huge risk. Elections right now are a tsunami for the country that will split Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in remarks released on Sunday.
Elections remain suspended under martial law as Ukraine fights invading Russian forces. The measure has wide public support. Zelenskyy warned that holding elections during wartime could harm the country's survival. "If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of elections during these times of war," he said.
The remarks were directed at former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who made the call for elections about a month after being dismissed by Zelenskyy. Fedorov has significant support among younger Ukrainians, with some calling for his reinstatement. However, a recent poll showed Zelenskyy would remain more popular as a presidential candidate. Zelenskyy said Fedorov was being "pushed toward wrong things."
Zelenskyy said Kyiv believed Russia was planning to mobilize 300,000 additional troops after Russian parliamentary elections in September, with hundreds of thousands more possible in 2027 as Moscow seeks to capture the rest of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
In other developments, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had reached an agreement with Germany on the supply of 600 Patriot PAC-2 missile interceptors for 2027-28, following a visit by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Saturday. France also pledged to deliver new interceptor missiles. Norway announced it would provide another 85 billion Norwegian crowns ($9.2 billion; €7.8 billion) in financial support to Kyiv in the 2027 fiscal year.
