The political crisis that erupted a month ago in Ukraine over the dismissal of the popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is not over yet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tried on Tuesday to resolve it once and for all by finally appointing the new minister. But hours later, Fedorov challenged Zelensky by calling for presidential elections without waiting for the end of the war.
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In a ten-minute video message recorded and broadcast on Tuesday night, the young former minister says it is necessary to guarantee the voting rights of the military, Ukrainians abroad, and people living in frontline regions.
“It is difficult, but that does not mean it is impossible,” Fedorov says. “We must answer a fundamental question: how should a state function if the war lasts for years? And the next question is: if the war lasts another year, two, three, could Russia actually determine when Ukrainians will next elect their government? I am convinced it cannot. Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state. We must find a legitimate, safe, and realistic mechanism that allows Ukraine to restore a fully democratic process even under conditions of a prolonged war,” added this technocratic politician, only 35 years old but very popular among the Ukrainian population.
Conflict with the head of the Armed Forces, Sirski, whom Zelensky had to dismiss after protests
Despite his age, Mykhailo Fedorov already had government experience before taking charge of the Ministry of Defense in January of this year. Previously, he was Minister of Digital Transformation and Deputy Prime Minister. In the video, broadcast via YouTube, he does not explain or hint at his future political plans, much less whether he himself would run for the presidency of the country.
Fedorov is credited with modernizing the Armed Forces, betting on the latest technologies and drones. Thanks to them, part of the success of the Ukrainian forces in containing the Russian advance on the battlefield and repeatedly striking the enemy rear belongs to him.
His dismissal on July 15 was mainly due to a personal conflict with the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Sirski, as Fedorov himself denounced. After protests by thousands of demonstrators in several Ukrainian cities demanding Fedorov’s reinstatement, Zelensky was forced to also dismiss the general.
Fedorov says corruption is one of the elements harming Ukraine’s war effort
Zelensky even offered Fedorov a “prominent position in the government,” but he refused and said he would only accept returning to his former post. The Ukrainian leader has refused to give in.
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Fedorov himself was not long ago considered one of the closest collaborators to the Ukrainian president. But after leaving the Ministry of Defense, he has not hidden his criticisms.
Fedorov says in his video message that Ukraine is facing a “systemic governance crisis” and that it is “afraid of change.” He also pointed to corruption as one of the elements harming the country’s war effort.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s term as president of Ukraine expired in 2024. But the martial law declared in the country after the Russian army entered Ukraine in February 2022 prevents elections from being held.
Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump said Kyiv was “using the war” to avoid elections. Zelensky replied that Ukraine was “ready for elections” in 60-90 days if its allies helped guarantee security during the electoral process.
Hours before Mykhailo Fedorov released his video, Zelensky confirmed that he had submitted to the Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) the name of the acting Defense Minister, Yevhenii Zhmara, to officially assume the position.
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