Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
A series of forceful comments from Vladimir Putin in Bishkek on Thursday set a sharper tone around the conflict in Ukraine.
Thursday, Vladimir Putin told reporters that, in his view, Ukraine’s government no longer holds legitimate power, several outlets, including Reuters, reports.
He argued that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s mandate expired when Kyiv opted not to hold elections.
“The leadership in Kiev has lost its legitimacy after refusing to hold elections upon the expiration of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s term,” he said, according to Digi24.
Not legal under martial law
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that elections cannot take place under martial law while the country is defending itself against Russia’s invasion.
According to Ukrainian authorities, holding a national vote during wartime would be both unsafe and unconstitutional.
At the briefing, Putin insisted that, given his stance on Kyiv’s mandate, formal agreements with the current authorities “make no sense.”
Putin: One thing, will stop Russian hostilites
Putin also stated that Russian forces would stop hostilities if Ukrainian troops withdrew from areas Moscow claims to have annexed.
“If Ukrainian troops leave the occupied territories, we will cease hostilities. If they do not leave, we will drive them out by military force,” he said.
He did not clarify whether this applied only to Donetsk and Luhansk — long-standing priorities for the Kremlin — or also to Kherson and Zaporizhia.
Russia announced the annexation of all four regions in September 2022, despite not controlling them fully.
Peace plan prospects
The question of territorial concessions remains highly sensitive. According to earlier reporting, the initial version of a 28-point U.S. proposal had included the transfer of Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia, a suggestion widely rejected in Ukraine before the draft was revised.
Putin has said a U.S.–Ukraine draft peace outline discussed in Geneva had been forwarded to Moscow.
He added that Washington appeared to be considering Russia’s position and confirmed that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected in Moscow next week for further talks.
Sources: AP, Reuters, BBC
