DISINFO: Russia cannot sign deals with Zelenskyy because he is illegitimate
SUMMARY
[Zelensky’s resignation] is not one of Russia’s official demands, but if it signs an agreement with him today, there is a real risk that all the documents he has signed could be called into question in Ukraine tomorrow due to his lack of legitimacy.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets questioning Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as Ukraine’s president. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Ukraine’s legitimate president under both Ukrainian law and international recognition. Under Ukrainian law, holding parliamentary, presidential and local elections during wartime is legally prohibited. Article 19 of the 2015 Ukrainian law "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law" directly prohibits the holding of presidential and several other types of elections during wartime:
“Under martial law, the following are prohibited:
amendment of the Constitution of Ukraine;
amendment of the Constitution of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea;
holding elections for the President of Ukraine, as well as elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and local self-government bodies.”
Ukraine is a parliamentary democracy, so any international agreements must be ratified or by parliament. Agreements made with Zelenskyy would be legally binding for Ukraine as a state, not contingent solely on his personal mandate. The claim that future Ukrainian authorities would automatically invalidate his agreements is speculative and unfounded. In fact, Ukrainian leaders across the political spectrum have maintained a unified position on core national interests, especially regarding sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia attempts to portray Zelenskyy as a “lame-duck” or illegitimate in order to undermine Ukraine’s negotiating position and destabilise its internal political situation. See also our article Kremlin disinformation attacking the ‘legitimacy’ of Ukrainian authorities.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that Zelenskyy is illegitimate, his official term expired in May 2024, that Ukrainian Constitution does not prohibit presidential elections during martial law, and that Moscow and Kyiv negotiations will be illegitimate because Zelenskyy is illegitimate.