Despite the work of the Russian IPSO (informational psychological special operation), the West has no doubts about the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky even after May 20, - the day of his inauguration.
This was reported by Apostrophe.
Thus, Russian propaganda is trying its best to promote the theme of the alleged illegitimacy of the President of Ukraine in order to sow discord in Ukrainian society and raise doubts among Ukraine's partners. However, despite this, Volodymyr Zelensky remains the current president of our country, as confirmed by the Constitution of Ukraine and its laws.
"Vladimir Putin made an attempt to expand the well-known Russian IPSO aimed at directly undermining the legitimacy of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky as head of state. Putin said that Ukraine's political and legal systems should determine whether Zelensky will still be considered the legitimate president of Ukraine when his first term technically ends on May 20," the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a report.
Despite attempts to sow disbelief among Ukrainians, all actions of the Ukrainian authorities are legal. In particular, the legitimacy of the President of Ukraine is determined by Article 108 of the Constitution. It states that after the expiration of the five-year term, the president's powers do not automatically terminate. They are terminated only after the inauguration of the newly elected president.
The EU also has no doubts about the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelensky as President of Ukraine, as stated by the EU Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Peter Stano during a briefing on Tuesday, May 21.
According to Stano, the Ukrainian Constitution provides that the incumbent president fulfills his duties until the newly elected head of state takes office. He also noted that Brussels does not consider it possible to hold elections during the war.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Volodymyr Zelensky is the rightful and legitimate President of Ukraine.
The legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelensky is also recognized in Germany. This was stated by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
"It is clear to everyone that Volodymyr Zelensky is the rightful and legitimate President of Ukraine," she said.
The Minister noted that the constitutions of many countries, not just Ukraine, state that presidential elections are not possible during wartime.
"For example, this is also written in the Basic Law of Germany: that the cadence continues during martial law and only six months after the end of the war it is possible to organize elections," Baerbock emphasized.