Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed domestic calls to hold elections during wartime, stating that "elections during a state of war could pose immense risks."

During a press conference on the 23rd local time, President Zelenskyy said, "If we were to hold elections right now, it would become a tsunami that divides Ukraine," adding, "If you want to destroy the country, you could proceed toward holding wartime elections."

On the 18th, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov publicly demanded wartime elections, stating, "Democracy must not be held hostage by Russia" and "We must find a legal, safe, and realistic way for Ukraine to resume fully democratic procedures even amid a prolonged war."

Former Minister Fedorov is a figure who successfully led a warfare strategy centered on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs / drones) before being abruptly dismissed last month, which had sparked fierce public backlash against President Zelenskyy at the time.

President Zelenskyy, who took office in May 2019, reached the end of his five-year term in May 2024, but has continued to remain in office by skipping elections based on the martial law declared following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

During the press conference, targeting former Minister Fedorov who turned against him, President Zelenskyy expressed frustration, saying, "He is heading in the wrong direction himself or is being pushed by someone."

Regarding the large-scale protests that erupted in opposition right after former Minister Fedorov's dismissal, he pointed out that it was a "disrespectful" attitude toward soldiers, asking rhetorically, "Since when has marketing become more important than people sacrificing their lives?"

President Zelenskyy emphasized, "Society and the military must not be divided," and noted, "There is a possibility of heading toward such dangerous developments."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)