Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday it is “legally impossible” to sign any peace agreement with Ukraine, arguing that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government lacks legitimacy after postponing elections under martial law.
Speaking at a press conference in Bishkek following a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, Putin said that while Moscow wants to reach an agreement with Ukraine, doing so with the current Ukrainian leadership is “practically impossible, legally impossible.” He emphasized that any peace deal would need to be recognized internationally.
“Signing documents with the Ukrainian leadership is pointless,” Putin said, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS. “I believe that the Ukrainian authorities made a fundamental and strategic mistake when they succumbed to the fear of participating in the presidential elections.”
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The Russian leader claimed that Zelensky lost legitimacy when Ukraine postponed its presidential election. Zelensky’s term would have expired in May 2024, but Ukraine says elections are prohibited under martial law, which Ukraine imposed after Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Ukrainian constitutional lawyers dispute Putin’s argument. In February 2024, Ukraine’s parliament overwhelmingly approved a resolution affirming Zelensky’s legitimacy to remain in office during the ongoing conflict. Legal experts say the Ukrainian Constitution allows extending the presidential term under martial law when the country is defending against foreign aggression.
US officials have been shuttling between Kyiv and Moscow with a revised peace framework that Ukraine reportedly agreed to earlier this week following negotiations in Geneva.
“In general, we agree that this can be the basis for future agreements,” Putin said, adding that Russia is ready for “serious discussions” when US special envoy Steve Witkoff travels to Moscow next week.
The initial 28-point peace proposal, which leaked last week, drew sharp criticism from Ukraine and European allies who viewed it as heavily favoring Russian demands, including territorial concessions and caps on Ukraine’s military. US and Ukrainian officials have since revised the plan to approximately 19 points following negotiations.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday that Russia had not yet officially received the latest US-backed draft but had seen an unofficial version. “Vladimir Zelensky faces legitimacy challenges due to his reluctance to hold elections and his failure to fully comply with the Constitution,” Peskov said, though he added that “everyone has the desire and preference to bring the settlement in Ukraine to a peaceful course.”
Ukraine’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak responded to Putin’s statements by reiterating that Zelensky “will not sign away territory.” “As long as Zelensky is president, no one should count on us giving up territory,” Yermak told The Atlantic.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that negotiators are “getting very close to a deal” and that “there are only a few remaining points of disagreement.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff had been able to “fine-tune the points” of the peace plan with input from both sides.
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