{
  "id": 2748884,
  "title": "Zelensky says wartime elections would 'split' Ukraine",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/zelensky-says-wartime-elections-would-split-ukraine",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-23T08:17:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/ukraine/2026/0823/1588900-ukraine-russia/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that wartime elections would currently be too dangerous for Ukraine, following his former defence minister's suggestion to organize a vote amid the ongoing conflict. In a public statement, Zelensky stated that elections during a war like the one Ukraine is experiencing would split the nation. This sentiment was echoed by ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who called for wartime elections, citing a crisis of governance as the biggest internal challenge since Russia's 2022 invasion. Ukrainian law strictly prohibits holding elections during wartime, a stance Zelensky reaffirmed in his comments. Fedorov, who was once an ally of Zelensky until his unexpected dismissal from the Defence Ministry in July, argued for a legal, safe, and realistic mechanism to allow Ukraine to renew its democratic process even under the conditions of a prolonged war. Separately, Zelensky revealed that Ukraine believes Russia is planning to mobilize an additional 300,000 troops for its ongoing war effort following parliamentary elections in September. He also mentioned the possibility of Russia drafting hundreds of thousands more soldiers in 2027 as part of its objective to capture Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.",
  "summary": "President Volodymyr Zelensky said wartime elections would currently be too dangerous for Ukraine, after a call by his former defence minister to organise a vote.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Zelensky, former Trump envoy Kellogg discuss Ukraine's air defense needs during visit to Kyiv",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/zelensky-former-trump-envoy-kellogg-discuss-ukraines-air-defense",
        "published": "2026-08-23T01:20:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda arrives in Kyiv ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/lithuanian-president-gitanas-nauseda-arrives-in-kyiv-ahead-of",
        "published": "2026-08-23T06:14:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ukrinform - Politics",
        "title": "Ukraine continues talks on using Starlink in Russia for long-range drones – Zelensky",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/ukraine-continues-talks-on-using-starlink-in-russia-for-long-range",
        "published": "2026-08-23T08:45:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ERR News Estonia",
        "title": "Prime minister in Kyiv: Russia shouldn't count on us tiring of Ukraine support",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/prime-minister-in-kyiv-russia-shouldnt-count-on-us-tiring-of-ukraine",
        "published": "2026-08-23T08:50:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Zelensky rejects wartime elections, says would ‘split’ Ukraine",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/zelensky-rejects-wartime-elections-says-would-split-ukraine",
        "published": "2026-08-23T09:00:09.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "Ukraine: Zelensky asks for more Patriot interceptors as civilian deaths hit highest level since 2022",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/ukraine-zelensky-asks-for-more-patriot-interceptors-as-civilian",
        "published": "2026-08-23T09:05:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}