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Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov Calls for Wartime Elections

morning · · thread: Civilians Face Shelter Shortages in Kyiv as EU Restricts Flight for Military Age Men

12 sources across 8 countries

Who reported this

  • The Guardian United Kingdom · Centre-left · Scott Trust Limited
  • BBC News United Kingdom · Centre · Public · Licence fee, royal charter
  • Reuters United Kingdom · Centre · Thomson Reuters Corporation
  • Sueddeutsche Zeitung Germany · Centre-left · Sudwestdeutsche Medien Holding
  • Frankfurter Allgemeine Germany · Centre-right · FAZIT-Stiftung (foundation)
  • Meduza Latvia · Centre-left · Crowdfunded; exiled Russian newsroom
  • Novaya Gazeta Europe Latvia · Centre-left · Crowdfunded; exiled Russian newsroom
  • Infobae Argentina · Centre-right · Daniel Hadad
  • Politico Europe Belgium · Centre · Axel Springer SE
  • Le Monde France · Centre-left · Fonds pour l'independance de la presse
  • Aftenposten Norway · Centre-right · Schibsted, Tinius Trust foundation
  • Kyiv Independent Ukraine · Centre · Reader-funded, journalist-owned

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for the establishment of a legal and safe mechanism to hold presidential elections despite the ongoing war with Russia. In a video address released Tuesday, the 35 year old politician argued that democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia and that the country must not let Vladimir Putin determine when Ukrainians can choose their government. Fedorov stated that democracy is not a peacetime luxury but is instead a core part of what Ukraine is fighting for. He acknowledged the logistical difficulties of organizing votes for service members, millions of citizens abroad, and residents of frontline regions, but maintained that these challenges do not make the process impossible.

Fedorov was dismissed from his post in July after a reported conflict with the commander in chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi. His removal sparked nationwide street protests, and Syrskyi was subsequently dismissed as well. While President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered Fedorov other government roles, including deputy prime minister for military innovation, Fedorov has stated he would only return as defense minister. Zelenskyy has since formally nominated Yevhen Khmara, a career intelligence official and former head of the SBU Alpha Special Operations Center, to permanently fill the defense minister role. The Ukrainian parliament is expected to vote on this appointment on Wednesday.

In his address, Fedorov also criticized a systemic crisis of governance and corruption within the state. He argued that personal loyalty to the system has become a primary criterion for appointments over professionalism and results. Some analysts questioned the practicality of the proposal, citing the ongoing Russian bombing campaigns and the lack of a clear plan to ensure voter safety. Polling from the Socis Centre for Social Research suggests that while Zelenskyy currently leads in first round preferences, he could be defeated in a run off by either Fedorov or former military head Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
These outlets framed the call as an act of defiance and a challenge to the current political system's functionality.
Centre
These sources presented the event as a significant political challenge to Zelenskyy's presidency and a test of wartime democracy.
Centre-right
These outlets emphasized the direct political challenge to Zelenskyy and the potential instability caused by the call for elections during a conflict.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.