Photo: president.gov.ua

This article was first published by Truthmeter.mk (North Macedonia), within the framework of Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Project.

By focusing on the narrative of Zelensky’s supposed “illegitimacy,” the Kremlin attempts to obscure the truth: under Ukraine’s Constitution, it is legally impossible to hold elections or referendums in the country during military conditions. Russia also overlooks the fact that elections cannot be held in Ukraine due to the destruction of infrastructure, the inability to conduct voting in occupied territories, the impossibility of allowing soldiers at the front to vote, and the fact that a significant number of Ukrainians have fled the country

Author: Ana Anastasovska

“Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is a dictator.” These words have been echoed in recent weeks by Russian politicians and pro-Russian voices, as well as by US President Donald Trump. This narrative has gained particular prominence since the United States and Russia began negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

One of the cornerstones of pro-Kremlin information manipulation and disinformation is the denial of Ukrainian statehood, to discredit the Ukrainian government, sow discord within Ukraine itself, and sever Ukraine’s ties with its supporters. To these ends, the Kremlin pours enormous resources into disinformation campaigns, writes Euvsdisinfo.

It is in this context that the Kremlin’s narrative of Zelensky’s alleged illegitimacy is set. In just one week, as Euvsdisinfo analyses, between 26 January and 2 February 2025, at least twenty-five articles with the ‘illegitimate’ tag appeared on the Russian state-owned RIA Novosti website alone. All of these boiled down to claiming one thing: President Zelensky “declared himself a dictator.” According to these pro-Kremlin outlets, Zelensky “usurped power in Ukraine” and “spat” on democratic norms.

Trump called Zelensky a dictator

In addition to the Kremlin, US President Donald Trump issued a scandalous statement calling the Ukrainian president a dictator and calling for elections in Ukraine to elect a legitimate representative who could negotiate an end to the war.

Criticizing Zelensky, in a post on Truth Social, Trump, among other things, wrote:

On top of this, Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is “MISSING.” He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden “like a fiddle.” A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.

In response, Zelensky stated that Trump lives in a space of disinformation.

Macedonian supporters of the Kremlin also labeled Zelensky a dictator

The fake pro-Kremlin narrative that Zelensky is the illegitimate president of Ukraine and that he has declared himself a dictator continues to circulate across social networks in Macedonia.

With his term ending in May 2024 and without the support of the Ukrainian parliament, the legitimacy of the puppet Zelensky is NULL, one post says. 

Another post says:

Brussels supports Zelensky despite the expiration of his mandate—Kaja Kallas says elections are not necessary. Brussels once again reaffirmed its full support for Vladimir Zelensky’s decision not to hold a presidential election, even though his term expires in May 2024. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, has said that “there is no need for elections” while the war is ongoing, while Donald Trump recently called Zelensky a “dictator without elections” and accused him of using American aid for an “intractable war.”

A third post, stressing that Zelensky’s mandate has expired, recalls Russian President Vladimir Putin’s words that “Zelensky cannot sign anything because of his illegitimacy.”

Zelensky’s presidential term expires in May 2024 and he cannot negotiate on behalf of Ukraine. And when he could, instead of adhering to the agreement in Istanbul, he obeyed the orders of the West to continue the war, even though Russia was sticking to the agreement and, to everyone’s surprise, withdrew its troops from Kyiv.

Putin in an interview with Pavel Zarubin:
Zelensky is illegitimate and cannot lift his own ban on negotiations.
The Russian president pointed out that Zelensky cannot sign anything because of his illegitimacy.

“You can negotiate with anyone, but because of his illegitimacy, he has no right to sign anything. But if he wants to participate in the negotiations, I’ll appoint people to conduct these negotiations with him, please. The question is the final signing of the documents. This is a very serious issue that must guarantee the security of both Ukraine and Russia for a serious, long-term historical perspective.”

Ukraine’s sovereignty is almost zero, the Russian leader stressed.
The Ukrainian conflict will be over in a month and a half to two months if Kyiv runs out of money for sponsorship and ammunition, Putin.

The Kremlin obscures the truth

By focusing on the narrative of Zelensky’s supposed “illegitimacy,” the Kremlin attempts to obscure the truth: under Ukraine’s Constitution, it is legally impossible to hold elections or referendums in the country during military conditions. Russia also overlooks the fact that elections cannot be held in Ukraine due to the destruction of infrastructure, the inability to conduct voting in occupied territories, the impossibility of allowing soldiers at the front to vote, and the fact that a significant number of Ukrainians have fled the country.

As Euvsdisinfo writes, Russian outlets are quick to draw another false conclusion, based on their own narratives about the “illegitimacy” of the Ukrainian president and his “mercantile interests.” This is the bizarre claim that Ukraine does not agree to peace negotiations with Russia “for the sake of preserving Zelensky’s power.” This is how the Kremlin is trying to shift responsibility for Russia’s war against Ukraine onto Ukraine itself.

Zelensky’s mandate is extended—the war does not allow holding elections

As Truthmeter.mk has already written, in May 2024, it will mark five years since Volodymyr Zelensky became President of Ukraine, with his inauguration taking place on May 20, 2019. Had the situation in Ukraine been peaceful—meaning if there had been no unprovoked military invasion by Russia—elections would have been held at the end of March 2024. However, in a state of war, elections in Ukraine are suspended, meaning both the president and the Verkhovna Rada continue to function, and as a result, their legitimacy remains intact, as does Zelensky’s mandate.”

The President of Ukraine and the Parliament retain full powers and will continue to do so until the next elections. This is stipulated by the Law of Ukraine on the Legal Regime of State of Emergency, which explicitly prohibits the termination of the mandates of state authorities, including the President, the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers, the National Bank of Ukraine, the Ombudsman, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and Ukraine’s investigative bodies.

The Constitution of Ukraine stipulates that the President of Ukraine retains their mandate and powers until a new president is elected.

It is true that Zelensky is supported by the EU, but not in order to “destroy his country.” Ukraine is the victim of an unprovoked military aggression initiated by Russia, which has brought unimaginable consequences to the state. Ukraine led by Zelensky defends its territorial integrity and borders, under the attack of an external factor—Russia. If Ukraine had not defended itself from the attack of Russia, then it would have been a completely seized and occupied country.

Russia will call any Ukrainian government “illegitimate” if it does not suit the Kremlin. After all, the Kremlin can always declare that any president elected in Ukraine after 2014 came to power through a “color revolution” and a “coup d’etat,” Euvsdisinfo concludes.