--- title: "Zelensky Calls Elections During the War a 'Tsunami' That Could Split Ukraine" description: "At an August 23 press conference, Zelensky rejected the idea of elections during the war, calling it a 'tsunami,' and responded to the call by former Defense Minister Fedorov. KIS poll: only 15% of Ukrainians support voting before the end of the fighting." date: 2026-08-23T11:54:05.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelensky-elections-during-war-tsunami-en tags: [ukraine, zelensky, elections, fedorov, military-law, war] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Zelensky Calls Elections During the War a 'Tsunami' That Could Split Ukraine ![Volodymyr Zelensky in a meeting with a foreign politician, discussing the risks of elections during the war in Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/23/zelensky-vybory-vo-vremya-voyny-cunami/zelensky-vybory-vo-vremya-voyny-cunami-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - At an August 23 press conference, Zelensky rejected holding elections under martial law, comparing it to a 'tsunami' that would split the country. - Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov this week called for finding a way to hold a vote; Zelensky said he acted on his own or was forced to. - According to a Kyiv Institute of Sociology poll, only 15% of Ukrainians support elections before the end of the fighting; experts pointed to obstacles involving the participation of soldiers and refugees. ### A 'Tsunami' That Will Split the Country At a press conference announced on August 23, 48-year-old Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky firmly rejected calls to hold elections under the active state of martial law. He compared such a step to a 'tsunami' that could deeply split the country and stated outright that Ukraine would proceed to voting at this point only if it wanted to destroy itself. In his words, in a fight as fierce as the current one, elections carry enormous risks. ### The Position of the Former Defense Minister The statement came against the backdrop of an unexpected call from former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who this week advocated finding a way to hold elections, without, however, offering a concrete plan of action. Commenting on the actions of his political opponent, Zelensky said that the former minister either acted of his own volition or was forced to take the wrong steps. Previously, Fedorov had insisted on reforms that, according to the source, contradicted the position of the military command. ### Martial Law and Polls Kyiv is currently under martial law, which has suspended all electoral activity. According to a poll by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology, only 15% of Ukrainians believe that elections should be held before the end of the fighting. Experts also pointed to a number of practical obstacles in the case of holding a vote: the participation of soldiers, millions of refugees, and people located in territories under foreign control. ### Political Context: Protests and Resignation The context for the statement was the recent protests of thousands of people, which took place after the resignation of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Thus, the public dispute between the incumbent president and his former subordinate unfolded against a backdrop of domestic political tension and public demonstrations, amplifying the resonance of the debate over the timing and conditions of a possible vote. ### Contradictory Data The primary source contains an ambiguous and internally contradictory formulation regarding Fedorov's earlier reforms: it is unclear whether they contradicted the military command or the former minister's own 'traditional hardline approach.' Moreover, the 15% figure relies on data from a single poll by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology and is not confirmed by independent re-measurements. Finally, the positions of the two key figures are in direct contradiction: Fedorov advocates finding a mechanism for voting, while Zelensky categorically rejects elections before the end of the fighting. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Ukrainian President Zelensky categorically rejects holding elections during the war.](https://www.vietnam.vn/ru/tong-thong-ukraine-zelensky-kien-quyet-bac-bo-bau-cu-giua-thoi-chien) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ катСгоричСский ΠΎΡ‚ΠΊΠ°Π· ЗСлСнского ΠΎΡ‚ Π²Ρ‹Π±ΠΎΡ€ΠΎΠ² Π² условиях Π²ΠΎΠΉΠ½Ρ‹. - [Zelensky stated that elections during the war will split and destroy Ukraine](https://www.kiprinform.com/news/zelenskiy-zayavil-chto-vybory-vo-vremya-voyny-raskolyut-i-razrushat-ukrainu/) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡƒΠ»ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΡƒ ΠΎ расколС ΠΈ Ρ€Π°Π·Ρ€ΡƒΡˆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ страны. - [Zelensky: Elections during the war will become a tsunami for Ukraine](https://www.dw.com/ru/zelenskij-o-predlozenii-fedorova-vybory-vo-vrema-vojny-eto-cunami-kotoroe-raskolet-ukrainu/a-78475531) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ ΠΌΠ΅Ρ‚Π°Ρ„ΠΎΡ€Ρƒ Β«Ρ†ΡƒΠ½Π°ΠΌΠΈΒ» ΠΈ Ρ€Π΅Π°ΠΊΡ†ΠΈΡŽ Π½Π° ΠΏΡ€Π΅Π΄Π»ΠΎΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π€Π΅Π΄ΠΎΡ€ΠΎΠ²Π°. - ['It's his choice': Zelensky said what he offered Fedorov after his dismissal](https://glavred.info/ukraine/eto-ego-vybor-zelenskiy-rasskazal-chto-predlagal-fedorovu-posle-uvolneniya-10790747.html) - ДополняСт дСталями ΠΎ ΠΏΠΎΠ·ΠΈΡ†ΠΈΠΈ ЗСлСнского ΠΎΡ‚Π½ΠΎΡΠΈΡ‚Π΅Π»ΡŒΠ½ΠΎ дСйствий экс-министра послС ΡƒΠ²ΠΎΠ»ΡŒΠ½Π΅Π½ΠΈΡ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why is Zelensky against elections during the war? **A:** He compared such a step to a 'tsunami' that would split the country and stated that Ukraine would hold elections now only if it wanted to destroy itself; the country is under martial law, which has suspended electoral activity. ### Q: Who called for holding elections? **A:** Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov this week called for finding a way to hold a vote, without offering a concrete plan of action. ### Q: What does the poll show? **A:** According to the Kyiv Institute of Sociology, only 15% of Ukrainians believe that elections should be held before the end of the fighting. ### Q: What obstacles did experts point out? **A:** The participation of soldiers, millions of refugees, and people in territories under foreign control.