Zelensky says it’s for Ukraine to determine his legitimacy, not Putin
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on June 7.
PARIS: EPA-EFE
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PARIS – President Volodymyr Zelensky said his legitimacy is recognised and determined by the Ukrainian people, while criticising that of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“President Zelensky’s legitimacy is recognised by the people of Ukraine... Our people are free. Putin’s legitimacy is recognised only by comrade Putin,” he told a press conference in Paris.
Presidential elections in Ukraine were supposed to take place this spring, following Mr Zelensky’s five-year term of office.
However, martial law introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 bans any wartime election.
The Constitution says the president serves until a newly elected one takes office.
Russia’s leader has claimed several times that Mr Zelensky is illegitimate since his five-year term ended in May.
Western leaders have not questioned Mr Zelensky’s legitimacy, and sociologists say there is a consensus among Ukrainians that Mr Zelensky should stay in office until the war ends. REUTERS
