Russian President Vladimir Putin again questioned the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, saying he would only recognize the authority of the country’s parliament in Kiev.
Putain said that according to the Ukrainian constitution, martial law stipulates that only the powers of the Supreme Council are extended – but not those of the president.
Ukrainian lawyers say the extent of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s powers is covered by other laws.
Ukraine’s Western allies, including Germany, also continue to recognize Zelensky as the country’s legitimate president.
Without the imposition of martial law, Zelensky’s first term would have ended on May 20. But due to the full-scale invasion of the Kremlin and with large parts of the country occupied by Russian forces, Ukraine is not planning elections.
In recent weeks, the Russian leadership has attempted to question Zelensky’s legitimacy by pointing to allegedly contradictory laws in Ukraine.
Putin, who made his final comments on Tuesday in Tashkent at the end of his state visit to Uzbekistan, has spent the last few days focusing on the issue.
On a recent visit to Beijing, he said expert opinion was needed to clarify whether Zelensky was still legally in office. Then, during a trip to Belarus, he insisted that the Ukrainian president was no longer legitimate.
Putin’s statements are seen as an attempt to undermine the Ukrainian leader’s credibility abroad, ahead of the peace summit in Switzerland on June 15 and 16.
Some of Zelensky’s Ukrainian opponents have also questioned the legitimacy of his stay in power.
Zelensky responded by accusing Putin of not being legitimately in power, after the Russian leader rewrote the constitution three years ago to remain in office.
Kiev has called on the West to no longer recognize Putin following Russian presidential elections in March, which were overshadowed by allegations of manipulation.
