Zelensky rejects rival's call for vote, says would 'split' Ukraine

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said it would be too dangerous to hold elections while the country is at war with Russia, rejecting calls from his former defence minister to organise a vote.

Zelensky made the remarks public on Sunday as he faced growing political pressure and announced a new drone deal with Norway. European leaders were also arriving in Kyiv for talks ahead of a meeting on Monday to discuss ways to pressure Russia to end its invasion.

Ukraine has suspended elections under martial law, a measure that remains widely supported by the public as the country continues its fight against Russia’s invasion, launched in 2022.

Zelensky has previously faced calls from both Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump to hold elections, even as Russia continues to launch missiles and drones across Ukraine on a daily basis.

“I believe that in a war like this, elections as such are a huge risk,” Zelensky said. “Elections right now are a tsunami for the country that will split Ukraine.

“If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of elections during these times of war,” he added.

He made the comments on Saturday during a briefing with journalists, including AFP.

Obstacles to a vote

Ukraine has been facing a political crisis since the summer, triggered by Zelensky’s dismissal of popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Thousands of people took to the streets demanding his reinstatement, while Fedorov launched sharp attacks against the army’s top brass.

The dispute eventually led Zelensky to dismiss his commander-in-chief. Days later, the ousted Fedorov unexpectedly called for efforts to find a way to organise elections.

Although he did not explicitly say he intended to challenge Zelensky, the move surprised many and prompted some of his supporters to distance themselves from him.

Experts have identified several obstacles to holding elections, including how soldiers, millions of Ukrainian refugees and residents of occupied territories would cast their ballots, as well as the risk of Russian interference and physical attacks.

Only 15 percent of Ukrainians believe elections should be held before the end of hostilities, according to an opinion poll.

Zelensky, despite facing growing pockets of domestic criticism as the war continues, remains broadly popular.

Fedorov’s team confirmed to AFP on Sunday that he plans to visit the United States soon, a trip likely to fuel speculation over whether he is positioning himself as a potential rival to Zelensky.

The former minister was a prominent supporter of Ukraine’s drone warfare strategy, which has become central to its fight against Russia, and had pushed for military reforms, earning significant public support.

Ukraine faces missile shortage

Several European leaders met Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday for a Nordic-Baltic summit.

Following individual meetings with several leaders, Zelensky announced a drone agreement with Norway, saying it would “strengthen cooperation between our defence sectors”.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told reporters that his country had pledged $9 billion to Ukraine for next year.

On Monday, Ukraine’s Independence Day, Kyiv’s key European allies will meet to discuss the country’s immediate military challenges.

Russia has intensified its strikes, increasingly using ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept and have exposed Ukraine’s shortage of air-defence systems.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has stepped up its own long-range strikes against Russian energy and logistics facilities, including oil refineries and retail warehouses.

On Sunday, it struck a warehouse belonging to Russian e-commerce giant Ozon for the second consecutive day.

Zelensky said deliveries of crucial interceptor missiles for US Patriot air-defence systems, which can shoot down Russian ballistic missiles, had fallen by half since 2023.

The United States is facing its own shortage of the missiles amid its war with Iran and has been reluctant to release large quantities to Ukraine.

Civilian deaths in the four-and-a-half-year war have risen to their highest level since the first months of Russia’s invasion, according to verified United Nations statistics, amid a sharp increase in Russian strikes.