Ex-Defense Chief Mykhailo Fedorov's Call for Wartime Elections Increases Pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukraine's political establishment has been shaken once again as recently ousted defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov publicly challenged wartime governance by calling for a presidential election. Fedorov, a 35-year-old technocrat with a background in logistics, technological innovations, and anticorruption measures, was dismissed in July by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following growing tensions with top general Oleksandr Syrskii.

In a nine-minute YouTube video released on Tuesday, Fedorov urged his former mentor to hold a presidential vote, arguing that democracy should not be held hostage by the ongoing conflict with Russia. Former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba echoed these sentiments, noting that the political model established in 2019 is emotionally exhausted and that waiting until the end of the war remains uncertain.

Despite his ouster, recent polls indicate that Fedorov remains the second-most-trusted potential president in Ukraine, closely trailing former top general Valerii Zaluzhnyi while ranking ahead of Zelenskyy. Supporters like Tetiana Baybachenko praise Fedorov for his clean reputation and his work on the Diia app during his tenure as digital transformation minister.

However, analysts and observers warn that organizing a vote during active conflict is nearly impossible. Olexiy Haran of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and political psychologist Svetlana Chunikhina noted that Ukraine's constitution bans elections during wartime and that security risks make public campaigning unfeasible without a stable truce. Meanwhile, analyst Igar Tyshkevych suggested that Fedorov's push highlights broader issues of institutional discreditation and corruption scandals surrounding Zelenskyy's administration.