During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on the 4th, Russian President Putin met with heads of international news agencies and stated that Russia is prepared to sign a peace agreement only with Ukraine’s legally recognized representatives, saying, "This is not an unreasonable demand." "Is Mr. Zelenskyy a legitimate representative of Ukraine? That is a question requiring legal analysis by lawyers. From both Russia's and Ukraine's perspectives, these (peace agreements) are historic documents. Russia needs to sign with representatives who possess legitimacy under constitutional law, fundamental laws, and the legal framework of the partner country—in this case, Ukraine. Two years ago, in May 2024, Mr. Zelenskyy’s presidential term expired."
Putin’s argument aims to fundamentally negate the legitimacy of the Zelenskyy government as a negotiating party from both international and domestic legal standpoints, thereby providing a strong legal justification for Russia’s stance of either refusing negotiations or delaying them. By using "legitimacy disputes" as a shield, Russia can openly disregard various peace roadmaps proposed by the U.S. and Ukraine, continue expanding its military gains through force, and compel the other side to negotiate under Russian terms in the future.
However, it must be objectively noted that although Russia denies Zelenskyy’s presidential legitimacy in legal texts, the mainstream international community has not accepted this claim. Ukraine’s Constitution Article 108 explicitly states that the current president continues to fulfill duties until a new president takes office; meanwhile, due to millions being displaced and war zones making security unguaranteed, holding elections during wartime is neither practical nor consistent with democratic principles—a view widely supported by international partners such as the EU. Therefore, Putin’s move also represents a typical strategy of "cognitive warfare" and information warfare: creating legal controversies to divide Ukrainian society, undermine Western unity, and pre-emptively shift blame should any future negotiations fail.
In summary, Putin’s statement regarding “signing agreements only with legitimate representatives” is a strategic initiative by Russia—after gaining military advantage—to comprehensively suppress Ukraine diplomatically and legally. It marks a new, more complex phase in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where both sides are not only engaged in territorial and military attrition but also locked in fierce ideological battles over national sovereignty, constitutional order, and narratives of international legality.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867148882519084/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.