The Russian Foreign Minister said that recognizing Zelensky's legitimacy might not happen.
(Baonghean.vn) - According to RIA Novosti, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov believes that the issue of recognizing Volodymyr Zelensky as President of Ukraine may not happen on May 21st.
This is Foreign Minister Lavrov's comment on the statement by Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, that President Zelensky's decision not to hold Ukrainian presidential elections would render him illegitimate from May 21, 2024.
Regarding May 20th and what will happen on May 21st, let's wait until then. Perhaps nothing will need to be acknowledged," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Previously, on February 27, the Ukrainian publication Zerkalo Nedeli, citing sources from the Ukrainian President's Office, reported that an appeal was being prepared to the Constitutional Court requesting clarification on the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelensky after May 20. Subsequently, the Constitutional Court stated that it had not received any such appeal.
Ukrainian parliamentary leaders have stated that President Zelensky's term of office will expire on the night of May 21st and cannot be extended.
The presidential election in Ukraine was supposed to take place on March 31, 2024, but the campaign was not held due to martial law and mobilization. President Zelensky stated that the election is "not the right time" now, and stressed that this issue needs to be resolved.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with CBS on March 28 that not all countries want to participate in the summit on Ukraine in Switzerland.
"We are waiting for our partners to give their consent, but this is difficult because all partners have to confirm that they will do so. The majority are on our side, but some are still balancing their relations with Russia," President Zelensky said.
Currently, President Zelensky is facing numerous major challenges, as Ukrainian armed forces are stalled on all fronts of the battlefield; presidential elections have not taken place as planned; and Western aid is dwindling.
On the Russian side, in a speech at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine on March 22, Russian Ambassador Nebenzia stated that Moscow had achieved its goal of demilitarizing Ukraine.
"Given that the Ukrainian armed forces have not fought with their own weapons for a long time, we can say that one of the goals when Russia launched its special operation, the demilitarization of Ukraine, has been achieved," the Russian diplomat said.
