Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Removed a Popular Defense Minister Last Month. He’s Now Calling For Wartime Elections.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for presidential elections, saying the democratic process must be restored despite the ongoing war.

Fedorov said "democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia" and that Kyiv must "find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to renew its full democratic process even in the conditions of a long war."

Fedorov did not mention President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by name nor said he would run as candidate. CNBC noted that the country's law currently prohibits elections to be held during a war.

Zelenskyy removed Fedorov in July, leading to public protests by supporters. He was instrumental in the development of Ukraine's drone strategy, which has allowed Ukraine to step up attacks against Russian energy and military infrastructure and give a country an edge over Russia.

In a media briefing after his departure, Fedorov said Zelensky was forced to choose between him and now former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He claimed that it was not him who presented him with such an ultimatum.

Following the backlash, Zelenskyy removed Syrskyi and said he offered Fedorov a "worthy leadership position that would allow him to bring together our country's technological capabilities and ensure their continued development." Fedorov does not currently hold a post in the government.

The call came after anti-corruption authorities announced charges against a deputy chief of Zelenskyy's office as part of a money laundering scheme.

Reuters noted that an August 5 poll by the ​Kyiv International Institute of Sociology showed that more than half of Ukrainians believe elections should only take place after the war as hundreds of thousands are in the front lines and cities are constantly under fire.