Ukraine’s Ex-Defense Minister Calls for Election, Cementing Break With Zelensky
New York Times · LC · trust 29/100
Mykhailo Fedorov, a popular young leader who was fired last month, said Russia should not be allowed to dictate when Ukrainians can choose their next government.
Listen · 6:09 min Share full article Mykhailo Fedorov in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, last month. He did not immediately put himself forward as a candidate to succeed President Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit... Jędrzej Nowicki for The New York Times By Kim Barker
After Russia invaded in February 2022 , elections in Ukraine were suspended under martial law. Opposing political parties and some Ukrainians have grumbled about Mr. Zelensky’s hold on power, which has extended for more than seven years, but rallied behind him because of the war.
The first major crack in that largely unified front appeared on Tuesday evening, when the former defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, whose firing prompted sustained protests against Mr. Zelensky, posted a nine-minute video on social media. In it, Mr. Fedorov argued that Ukraine was facing a systemic crisis of governance.
Ukrainians, Mr. Fedorov said, need to be able to exercise their democratic rights despite the war with Russia. He did not directly put himself forward as a candidate to succeed Mr. Zelensky. But the video of Mr. Fedorov, dressed in a black military-style shirt, dramatically spotlighted at a wooden desk, had the feel of a campaign declaration.
“Can Russia effectively be given the right to dictate when Ukrainians can choose their government again?” Mr. Fedorov said. “I am convinced that the answer is no. Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state.”
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