Zelenskyy says wartime elections would threaten Ukraine’s unity
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that holding elections amid the war could split the country, citing security risks and the need to focus on ending the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalists on Saturday that conducting elections while the country is at war would pose a "tsunami for the state that will split Ukraine," adding that the priority is to end the war and preserve independence. He said elections could only be considered if specific conditions were met, including safe participation of the military, citizens abroad and residents of frontline areas, and the absence of strikes or shelling.
Zelenskyy noted that martial law has suspended voting since the full-scale Russian invasion began and his five-year term expires in May 2024. The call for a new vote came from former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed a month earlier and has since refused four alternative government posts.
The president warned that Russia is amassing 600-630 high-speed ballistic missiles and producing about 100 more each month, with a maximum capacity of 1,300 per year. He said Ukraine is seeking additional Patriot interceptors for the winter, requesting 300 missiles, and has secured agreements with France for a SAMP/T system and with Germany for about 600 PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors slated for delivery in 2027-28. Zelenskyy appealed to the United States to contribute a small share of its stockpiles, estimating 5-10 percent would help Ukraine survive the winter.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed plans to boost French support, including interceptor missiles, after a conversation with Zelenskyy. Allies in the “coalition of the willing” are set to meet on Monday to discuss further pressure on Moscow.
Zelenskyy also warned that Russia may attempt to conscript an additional 300,000 soldiers after its September parliamentary elections, aiming to intensify fighting in eastern Donetsk province, though he expressed confidence that Moscow would fail to capture the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.