Kremlin: Ukraine elections crucial for legalising conflict settlement deals

Holding elections in Ukraine by the end of the year and legitimizing the country's leadership are necessary for the legal formalization of any agreements on resolving the Ukrainian conflict, said Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

During a briefing, Peskov was asked to comment on reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg’s proposal to hold elections in Ukraine by the end of the year, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

"Of course, we have seen the statements from both [Kellogg and Zelenskyy]. You know the legal realities of the Kyiv regime. De jure, President Zelenskyy's term has ended," Peskov stated.

"Therefore, the very idea of holding elections in Ukraine is necessary from the perspective of legitimizing the leadership. I’d like to remind you of President Putin’s recent statement that this legitimization is essential for the legal formalization of any agreements regarding conflict resolution. So, undoubtedly, this is an important topic, and it’s clear that the head of the Kyiv regime isn’t particularly fond of it," the Kremlin official noted.

By Khagan Isayev