(KYIV, UKRAINE) – Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has told the BBC he stands by his call for nationwide elections despite the ongoing war, arguing that democracy “cannot be held hostage by Russia.”
Fedorov, who was dismissed last month after reportedly falling out with the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, said it was his “moral right” to start the conversation and that a vote was inevitable.
In a video released earlier in the week, Fedorov accused officials in the government of corruption, saying it was hurting Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia. He said democracy “should not be the hostage of Putin.”
Speaking to the BBC, Fedorov said: “A huge number of people started talking and supporting the idea of coming back to the democratic cycle. And I believe that neither Putin nor the president of any other country can speak about our own democracy. We are the only ones who will decide what we do going forward. That’s what democracy is all about.”
He added: “If I cannot share my ideas and be open about them, then what are we fighting for?”
When asked whether an election would be in his personal interests, Fedorov said: “It’s definitely in my vested interest because I want this war to be over and Ukraine to become a successful country. So yeah, this is in my interest for sure. But of course, it’s also in the interest of all Ukrainians.”
Fedorov stopped short of directly criticising President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and would not be drawn on whether the president could win an election. He also would not rule out running for president himself.
“I think that probably you better ask the president about this. Do an interview with him. Have a conversation with him in front of the world,” Fedorov said when asked about Zelenskyy’s awareness of corruption allegations.
He added: “I believe that he’s ready. Why not? That’s his responsibility to explain whether he was aware of all that or not. I don’t want to make any assumptions.”
When asked directly if Zelenskyy might be a corrupt politician, Fedorov said: “Look, in all the time that I worked with him, not a single time I received from him any task that would go against the law. I can talk only about my personal experience.”
The presidential spokesperson responded to Fedorov’s claims, saying: “Since the former minister was part of every government since 2019, it’s strange that he phrases it as though these were somehow different governments without him. As everyone remembers, we didn’t hear any strong statements from him back then.”
Fedorov said he had done what he could to eradicate corruption from defence procurement and the armed forces but accepted there was more to do. He confirmed he will travel to the United States next week and hopes to meet Elon Musk to discuss extending Starlink access into Russian airspace.
Zelenskyy has said he believes wartime elections would be too dangerous for Ukraine.
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