Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will be illegitimate without the cancellation of the decree previously signed by Volodymyr Zelensky banning them, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russian media.
Vladimir Putin noted in the interview:
“If we start negotiating now, they will be illegitimate. There is, it is true, I did not talk about it, a problem here. Why? Because when the current head of the regime, as only he can be called today, signed this decree, he was a relatively legitimate president. And now he can’t revoke it because it’s illegitimate. That’s the trick, the ambush, the trap.”
The Russian leader also believes that if Kyiv wants to cancel the decree, the Ukrainian authorities will find a legal way. This can be done by the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada.
Putin also emphasised that immediately after the conflict began, Moscow offered Kyiv to “withdraw” from Donetsk and Luhansk regions in order to stop the fighting.
The Russian president said:
“Initially we told the Ukrainian leadership at the time: “People in the LPR and DPR (Luhansk and Donetsk regions) do not want to be part of Ukraine, leave there and that’s it, everything will end there, no hostilities, no war.” No, “we will fight.” Nevertheless, they immediately agreed to the negotiations.”
Vladimir Putin added that “Ukraine’s sovereignty is almost zero,” as without financial and military aid “they will not exist for a month.” He also added:
“They can’t exist, they won’t exist for a month if the money and, broadly speaking, ammunition stops. That’s it! Everything will be over in a month and a half, two months.”
In the interview, he mentioned the US and EU’s influence on the Ukrainian conflict by the fact that they “persuaded the Ukrainians to continue the war.” Putin added:
“Suddenly, information came from Kyiv that they need to consult with their allies and they are taking a week’s pause. Here, they consulted. As you know, Mr. Johnson arrived then – the Prime Minister of Great Britain – probably at the suggestion of the former US administration headed by Mr Biden and persuaded the Ukrainians to continue the war.”
Earlier, Zelensky said that he did not forbid himself to negotiate with Russia. According to him, there were many negotiation processes, as well as many shady political corridors, but he stopped this process.
The term of office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expired on May 20, 2024. The law on martial law, which has been imposed in Ukraine since the start of the military conflict in February 2022, prohibits changing the country’s constitution, electing the president, the Verkhovna Rada and self-government bodies.
