Sealing a peace accord with Ukraine is “legally impossible” at present, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated. While Moscow would like to sign such an agreement eventually, the current Ukrainian leadership has lost all legitimacy by canceling elections, Putin told reporters on Thursday.
rt.com
Wrapping up his state visit to Kyrgyzstan, Putin stated that “it makes no sense to sign documents with the Ukrainian leadership – I have covered this topic many times already.”
According to the Russian president, “the Ukrainian leadership made a fundamental, strategic mistake, when it was afraid to hold elections.”
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky “lost his legitimate status” as the country’s president, Putin pointed out.
Under Ukrainian law, presidential elections should have been held in May 2024; however, Zelensky refused to hold them, citing martial law. Moscow has considered him an illegitimate leader since.
Putin noted that while Russia is also locked in a military conflict, it nevertheless held presidential elections in March 2024.
The Russian president said that should any peace agreement be signed, the Ukrainian leadership would have to lift martial law and “immediately call elections.” However, as things stand at present, “the Ukrainian leadership could hardly count on an [electoral] victory without rigging” the vote, Putin observed.
Earlier this month, the administration of US President Donald Trump put forth a framework for a peace plan aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict.
According to leaked versions published by several media outlets, the 28-point proposal envisages Ukraine abandoning a number of its long-standing “red lines.”
Read more.
EU’s humiliation in Geneva: No influence, no voice, no plan.
Kiev would reportedly be required to renounce its NATO membership aspirations, as well as its claims to Russia’s Crimea and the Donbass regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, to limit the size of its military to 600,000, among other points.
Moscow has stated that while it has yet to receive any official documents, it welcomes the general impetus. Russian officials have tentatively said that the US-drafted framework could serve as the basis for a final settlement.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow next week. |
