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Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said President Volodymyr Zelensky had been ready to hold elections during the war but backed off the idea because former commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi might have run against him
Attributed to Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov
Searching found that Ukrainska Pravda (English edition) reported that Fedorov, described as a former defence minister, said Zelensky had been ready to hold elections before the war ended but dropped the idea because Zaluzhnyi might run. The report cites Fedorov's interview in a longer Ukrainska Pravda piece. Fedorov also said he had proposed elections as early as June. Kyiv Post, Yahoo News and Mezha.net carried matching reports, and the Kyiv Independent ran a related piece on Fedorov's call for elections. I did not read the original Ukrainska Pravda article in full. I found no Reuters, AFP, Bellingcat or EUvsDisinfo fact-check of this claim. I also found no denial from Zelensky's office. Ukrinform has a separate item on Zelensky's readiness to run in an election. The claim is accurately attributed: it is Fedorov's own account of Zelensky's motives, and it is not independently verified as fact.
Supporting sources
Multiple outlets, led by Ukrainska Pravda, report that Fedorov made this statement, so the attribution is accurate. The underlying assertion about Zelensky's motives rests on Fedorov's word alone, and no one has independently corroborated it.
Some independent corroboration was found, but it isn't yet conclusive.
Sep 22, 2026, 9:40 AM UTC
UnverifiedInitial assessment.
Oct 25, 2026, 9:31 AM UTC
ConfirmedMultiple outlets, led by Ukrainska Pravda, report that Fedorov made this statement, so the attribution is accurate. The underlying assertion about Zelensky's motives rests on Fedorov's word alone, and no one has independently corroborated it.
First observed Sep 22, 2026, 9:40 AM UTC · Last reviewed Oct 25, 2026, 9:31 AM UTC