Ukraine’s former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has said President Volodymyr Zelensky should face questions over what he knew about potential corruption within his government and inner circle.
Speaking to the BBC, Fedorov said a money-laundering investigation announced last week raised questions about whether the Ukrainian president was aware of alleged wrongdoing involving people close to him.
However, the former minister stressed that he had never personally witnessed Zelensky engage in corrupt activity during his time in government.
“In all the time that I worked with him, not a single time have I received from him any task or assignment that would go against law or my sense of integrity,” Fedorov said.
Fedorov Defends His Record
Fedorov, 35, was dismissed from his ministerial position last month following reports of disagreements with the leadership of Ukraine’s armed forces.
He had become a prominent figure in Ukraine’s wartime administration, particularly for his role in modernising the country’s defence capabilities and promoting the use of drones.
His dismissal initially triggered protests, although the demonstrations lost momentum and ended after his replacement was confirmed.
Asked whether he missed his former position, Fedorov said he did not, pointing to the intense pressure involved in managing Ukraine’s war with Russia while overseeing major changes within the defence ministry.
Former Minister Renews Call for Elections
Fedorov also renewed his call for elections to be held in Ukraine, despite the country remaining under martial law following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukraine’s presidential election has been suspended under wartime conditions, while Zelensky’s five-year presidential term formally expired in May 2024.
Fedorov argued that Ukrainians should at least be allowed to discuss the possibility of holding elections.
“Democracy should not be the hostage of Putin,” he said.
He described it as his “moral right” to raise the issue and argued that democratic debate should continue even during wartime.
“We should not be afraid of discussing it. That’s what democracy is all about,” Fedorov said.
‘If Elections Were Never Held, We Are No Longer a Democracy’
Fedorov stopped short of declaring any political ambitions of his own but maintained that Ukraine must eventually return to the ballot box.
“If I cannot share my ideas and be open about them with my own society, then what are we fighting for?” he asked.
He added that if elections were never held, “then we are no longer a democracy”.
His comments come as Ukraine continues to face the enormous political and military pressures created by the ongoing war with Russia, alongside growing scrutiny of government accountability and corruption.
