- Parliament approved Zelenskiy's chosen successor, Yevhenii Khmara, and protests largely ended, with only a few dozen remaining in central Kyiv.
- Fedorov warned of a governance crisis and called for elections, but his call was seen as a clumsy misstep by an opposition lawmaker.
- Fedorov refused any role other than his old post, turning down the offer of deputy prime minister.
- Protests erupted in central Kyiv, with thousands joining rare wartime demonstrations.
- Protests largely ended, with only a few dozen remaining in central Kyiv.
- Fedorov is seen as a potential challenger to Zelenskiy's power in the fifth year of the war.
- A poll found 57% of Ukrainians want elections only after fighting ends, and even amid protests people did not want elections.
- People trust Zelenskiy as a wartime leader, and elections without good candidates would be less legitimate.
- Prokopenko said Fedorov had been poised to cast himself as a statesman but miscalculated, describing his move as a false start.
- Chief organiser Dmytro Koziatynskyi said he cannot imagine holding polls with troops at the front.
Ukrainian parliament confirmed Yevhenii Khmara as the new defense minister on Wednesday, following the decline of protests against the ousted Oleksii Fedorov. Initially, Fedorov's call for elections during the ongoing war was seen as a miscalculation, as many Ukrainians expressed a desire to postpone elections until after hostilities cease.12346
Despite the protests, only a few dozen demonstrators remained in Kyiv's central square, where thousands had gathered earlier. 22-year-old Iryna Vasyliaka stated, "When we came out to protest, we did not come with the idea that elections should be held." This sentiment was echoed by Anton Grushetskyi, who noted, "Even amid these protests, people didn't want to hold elections."
Fedorov's insistence on retaining his position rather than accepting a deputy prime minister role further strained his political standing. Olena Prokopenko remarked that Fedorov's approach was a "false start" that could jeopardize his future political capital. A recent poll indicated that 57% of Ukrainians prefer elections only after the war ends, highlighting the public's focus on stability over political change during this tumultuous period.9
As the protests concluded, chief organizer Dmytro Koziatynskyi emphasized the impracticality of holding elections while troops are engaged at the front, reinforcing the prevailing sentiment among the populace.
“Fedorov's call for elections was seen as a clumsy misstep, with an opposition lawmaker saying he lacks a presidential-level feel for the country. A poll found 57% of Ukrainians want elections only after fighting ends, and even protesters did not seek them, per 22-year-old Iryna Vasyliaka.”
