President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that holding an election while Ukraine fights Russia's invasion would be too dangerous, following a call by his former defense minister to organize a vote.
Ukraine has suspended elections under martial law, a measure widely supported by the population as the country focuses on fighting the 2022 Russian invasion.
"I believe that in a war like this, elections as such are a huge risk. Elections now are a tsunami for the country that will split Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
"If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of elections during these times of war," Zelenskyy, 48, who became president in 2019, added.
He made the comments Saturday in a briefing with journalists, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), his first in months amid several political crises.
