Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks made public Sunday that it would be too dangerous for Ukraine to hold an election while fighting Russia, after a call by his former defence minister to organise a vote.
As he fended off the political pressure, Zelensky announced a new drone deal with Norway, with European leaders arriving for talks ahead of a meeting Monday to discuss how to pressure Russia to end its invasion.
Ukraine has suspended elections under martial law, a measure still widely supported by the population as the country focuses on fighting off the Russian invasion launched in 2022.
The Ukrainian leader has previously faced calls both from Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump to stage a vote, even as Moscow rains down missiles and drones across the country on a daily basis.
“I believe that in a war like this, elections as such are a huge risk,” said Zelensky. "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 Saturday in a briefing with journalists, including from AFP.
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The democratic constitution of any nation ever says you don’t hold votes when you are fighting an active war and part of your territory is occupied. For a long and obvious list of reasons.
That’s not true. There’s plenty of countries that don’t and will just try to hold elections.
Still, the Ukrainian constitution says it shouldn’t be done, and it’s not “undemocratic” to abide by the law. It’s not like Zelensky needs to remain in power. I think he wouldn’t mind a rest. But he’s very duty-bound it seems.