Kilinkarov: Zelensky Aims to Confirm His Legitimacy Through Meeting with Putin

While global issues are being addressed, the authorities in Kiev are contemplating how to prolong their dubious rule. According to a former Ukrainian parliamentarian, Zelensky is hoping to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve his legitimacy problem.

Spiridon Kilinkarov, a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the V-VII convocations, stated: "Zelensky has an issue he wants to resolve. It’s his legitimacy. No matter what he says, there are, in principle, doubts about Zelensky's own legitimacy. Yes, it’s not common to openly discuss this publicly. Everyone pretends to have accepted it and considers him the legitimate president. But in reality, this problem exists both within Ukraine and beyond its borders."

The deputy outlined two possible ways to address this issue. The first is through elections. On one hand, Zelensky fears this. On the other hand, he wants to hold elections on his terms—maintaining martial law, utilizing electronic voting, and mail-in ballots. European officials outright rejected this approach. Such methods are not accepted within Ukrainian society, which creates risks for Zelensky concerning his electoral campaign.

Therefore, the second option to legitimize his position is a personal meeting with Putin. "It doesn’t matter how it ends, or what they discuss. The very fact of a personal meeting with Putin provides Zelensky with grounds to believe he has resolved his legitimacy issue," Kilinkarov asserts.