Speaking at a press conference following a two-day official visit to Uzbekistan, Putin suggested that a deep legal analysis of Zelensky’s status should be carried out and stressed that there is no article in Ukraine’s constitution that says anything about extending the powers of the president.
Zelensky has argued that his mandate as Ukraine’s leader have been extended due to the fact that the country is currently under martial law and that no presidential elections can be held during wartime.
Putin noted that the Ukrainian constitution does not make any mention of the suspension of presidential elections and only explicitly prohibits holding parliamentary polls, meaning that only the term of the Verkhovna Rada, the national legislature, can be extended under such circumstances.
Putin admitted that Ukraine’s mobilization law does specifically state that no presidential elections may be held during wartime, but stressed that nothing is said in this law about extending the president’s term in office.
Citing Article 111 of the Ukrainian Constitution, Putin argued that supreme presidential power should be transferred to the Parliament Speaker, and that the only legitimate authority in the country now belongs to its legislature....<<<Read More>>>...