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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should be asked questions about corruption in his government, his sacked defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has told the BBC.<\/b><\/p>\n
Fedorov, a popular minister who modernised the military and pioneered drone warfare, was fired last month after reportedly falling out with the head of Ukraine’s armed forces.<\/p>\n
He told the BBC a money laundering investigation announced last week meant Zelensky should be asked about his awareness of potential corruption in his inner circle.<\/p>\n
But he said he had not himself seen the president engage in any corrupt activity.<\/p>\n
“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”, Federov said.<\/p>\n
The former minister also repeated his appeal for elections to be held in Ukraine, days after releasing a video where he called for a wartime vote.<\/p>\n
“Democracy should not be the hostage of Putin”, he said – but stopped short of declaring his own political ambitions.<\/p>\n
There were angry protests over Fedorov’s sacking but his support dwindled and demonstrations ended on Wednesday, after his replacement was confirmed. His call for a vote has been widely rejected.<\/p>\n
Asked whether he missed his old job, the 35-year-old replied “No”, citing the relentless stress of managing Ukraine’s war with Russia while transforming its defence ministry.<\/p>\n
Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, meaning elections are suspended. Zelensky’s five-year presidential term ended in May 2024.<\/p>\n
But Fedorov said it was his “moral right” to start the conversation about elections.<\/p>\n
“We should not be afraid of discussing it. That’s what democracy is all about. If I cannot share my ideas and be open about them with my own society, then what are we fighting for?”<\/p>\n
If elections were never held, he said, “then we are no longer a democracy”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n