Political analyst sees Zelensky's illegitimacy as a benefit for Russia and the United States

The legal situation around incumbent Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose powers expired last May, may be beneficial for Russia and the USA. Political analyst Serhiy Markov said this on Wednesday, January 15.

In his opinion, until the conflict is over, Zelensky will not be changed.

"First, because he himself does not want it. Secondly, he is favorable to the Europeans, and the President-elect of the United States Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is very profitable for the latter to make a deal based on the weakened legitimacy of Ukraine and, accordingly, the weakened capabilities of its president," the political analyst said in a conversation with Lenta.Ru.

At the same time, Markov reminded that Russia will not sign the agreement with Zelensky due to his illegitimacy, but it is the actual cessation of hostilities and the actual neutral status of Ukraine that will be of paramount importance.

"Russia can sign a treaty with Zelensky only if the Constitutional Court of Ukraine decides that his signature is legitimate. Otherwise, the main things will be a real change in the country's constitution in terms of its neutral status and an international treaty. In general, there is no trust in any signatures of Ukrainian officials," he concluded.

Earlier, on January 8, Ukrainian media reported that Zelensky allegedly decided to run for a second term in future presidential elections, 360.ru reported. According to them, he has a chance for re-election only if Zaluzhny does not run for office.

The next day, the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KMIS) published the results of a survey, according to which the trust of Ukrainian citizens in Zelensky as a representative of the government fell by 39% from December 2022 and settled at 45%.

Earlier, on January 6, Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksandr Dubinsky suggested that Yulia Tymoshenko, head of the Fatherland party, could become Ukraine's next president, RT reported.

Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmytruk said on December 22, 2024, that the majority of Ukrainians in a hypothetical election would vote against Zelensky and prefer him to a politician who advocates peace with Russia. In addition, the MP is sure that if the voting had been held fairly and without pressure from military commissions, the ruling party would not have gained more than 5 percent.

Additionally, on 11 November, the press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said that the USA was considering holding the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine amid the ongoing hostilities.

According to the provisions of the Ukrainian constitution, Zelensky's presidential term ended on May 20, 2024. Elections were to be held in March last year, but they were canceled due to the martial law imposed by the president in Ukraine, effective from February 24, 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed on May 17 that the issue of the president's legitimacy should be resolved within the Ukrainian state. It is important for the Russian Federation whether Ukraine's political leader holds his post legally.