Zelenskyy Rejects Wartime Election, Defers Question to Western Allies

Zelenskyy rejected dismissed defence minister Fedorov's call for a wartime election, calling a vote a "tsunami for the state." Ukraine's martial law bars elections during conflict; Zelenskyy's term expired May 2024. He said he would back elections only if allies guarantee safe participation for soldiers, front-line residents, and diaspora Ukrainians without shelling — effectively shifting the decision to Western capitals.