Budanov, speaking from Ukraine, said that Federoov, the former defense minister, has likely chosen a political path and is entitled to campaign in support of holding elections, but he emphasized that security and public trust remain major obstacles.

"How can a soldier on the front line, who is under threat from drones, cast a vote? How can hundreds of thousands of people living in occupied areas cast a vote?"

"Who guarantees that everyone will accept the result?"

He said that Ukraine technically could hold the "most modern elections in the world" via a smartphone, but the key issue is trust in the process, not the technology.