Zelenskyy Rejects Wartime Election Calls From Former Defense Minister

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected calls to hold national elections during the ongoing Russian invasion, characterizing such a move as a "tsunami for the country that would split Ukraine." The dispute follows the July 15 dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was removed following a feud with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Fedorov has since released a video criticizing a "systemic crisis of governance" and corruption, arguing that democracy cannot be "held hostage by Russia."

Zelenskyy described Fedorov's actions as "misguided" and linked the former minister to a diplomatic incident involving inaccurate information provided to U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Elon Musk's approval for Starlink use over Russian territory. The president also addressed a recent corruption scandal that led to the dismissal of presidential deputy chief of staff Iryna Mudra, asserting that anti-corruption investigators have no questions regarding his own involvement.

While Fedorov's popularity has risen amid protests in cities including Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv, a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology survey indicates only 15% of Ukrainians support holding elections before hostilities end. Amidst this political friction, Zelenskyy reported a $27 billion defense budget shortfall and a decline in Patriot missile supplies, though he noted that Ukrainian forces have recaptured nearly all of the Dnipropetrovsk region.