Russia says peace deal possible, but questions Zelenskyy’s legitimacy

A Russian Foreign Ministry official said ongoing talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations could yield a peace agreement, but questioned the legal standing of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign any deal.

Rodion Miroshnik, a senior official for Russian Foreign Ministry, told reporters that the first step toward peace is reaching concrete agreements through the current talks, Caliber.Az reports via TASS. 

“The groups that have been formed on both sides are quite capable of doing this. They can work out a model that will be acceptable both to Russia and Ukraine and will be accepted by the international community. There are such chances,” Miroshnyk said. 

However, he raised concerns over the legitimacy of any agreement signed by Zelenskyy, claiming his presidential mandate has expired under Ukrainian law. 

“We have analysed Ukrainian legislation and in accordance with it, we understand exactly that Zelenskyy's powers as a legitimate leader of the country, they are over. And this is all emphasised and accepted both in the international community and in the expert community. And there is no second opinion in this sense either,” he asserted.

He warned that any deal signed under these circumstances could be invalidated. 

“There are risks that the agreements reached, signed in an illegitimate manner, may lead to the disavowal of all agreements,” Miroshnik said.

Despite these concerns, he suggested that mechanisms for legalising the outcome of the negotiations could be developed as part of the process. 

“I think that this is just a question of the negotiation process, which should stipulate transitional conditions and how this document can be legalised,” Miroshnik finalised. 

Although Zelenskyy's initial mandate expired in May 2024, under Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held as long as a state of martial law persists across the country. Martial law was declared following the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Moreover, back in February 2025, Ukraine’s parliament has overwhelmingly approved a resolution affirming the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s stay in office, asserting the constitutionality of deferring the presidential election while the country is at war.

All 268 parliament members present voted unanimously in favour of the resolution, while 12 MPs were absent from the session.

By Sabina Mammadli