DISINFO: Russia will not negotiate with illegitimate puppet Zelensky
SUMMARY
Russia will not negotiate with Zelenskyy because he is an illegitimate president. Zelenskyy's term as President of Ukraine ended on May 20, 2024. Putin wants to negotiate directly with Trump for a comprehensive security plan. Russia will not negotiate with the puppet in Kyiv.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Ukraine's loss of sovereignty and about Ukraine’s leadership, aimed at undermining the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is part of a wider disinformation campaign to justify Russia’s unprovoked invasion.
Ukraine’s constitution is straightforward: no elections can be held during wartime and the President of Ukraine exercises his powers until the assumption of office by the newly-elected President. The continuity of government institutions is one of the key principles of the Constitution.
Many observers consider regular elections unfeasible as there are millions of voters abroad, hundreds of thousands serve on the frontlines and a significant part endures Russian occupation. There are also multiple funding and infrastructure problems that can hardly be addressed while the war is ongoing.
The ultimate goal of this disinformation story is to promote the idea that the negotiations to resolve the current crisis will take place sooner or later, but not with Volodymyr Zelenskyy - who is falsely purported to be a Western puppet - but with his master. The pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative aims to create an impression of strength ahead of any possible peace negotiations with Ukraine.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that By visiting Kyiv, Indian Prime Minister Modi has legitimised illegitimate Zelenskyy, that Zelenskyy is illegitimate and therefore Russia is directly fighting the West, that the prolonged war allows Zelenskyy and his junta to maintain their positions of power, that Zelenskyy and the Kyiv junta need to continue the war against Russia to enrich themselves with Western aid that Zelenskyy staged a coup d'état for fear of losing the 2024 presidential elections and that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a Western puppet.