Wartime election would 'destroy' Ukraine: Zelensky

KYIV, Aug 23: Holding a wartime election in Ukraine while active fighting with Russia continues would "destroy" the country by splitting Ukrainians, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

His comments, released to reporters on Sunday, were Zelensky's first on the subject since ousted former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for a wartime poll in a bombshell address last week.

Fedorov's surprise dismissal last month sparked widespread protests, but supporters calling for his reinstatement later baulked at his call for an election - the first such demand by a major Ukrainian political figure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

"I believe that if we want to destroy the country, then we can move towards elections during this kind of war," Zelensky said.

Elections in war are prohibited by Ukrainian law. Analysts also say security concerns and the millions of Ukrainians abroad, under Russian occupation or fighting at the front mean it would be too difficult to hold an election.

Zelensky's approval rating has remained generally stable at about 60%, but pollsters have said that while Ukrainians want fresh faces in politics, many have little appetite for voting now.�" REUTERS