Putin’s rhetoric about Zelenskyy’s illegitimacy is nothing new

After all, in his distorted imagination, all Ukrainian presidents since 2013 have been illegitimate.

Let me remind you that Poroshenko was also considered “illegitimate,” although Putin later met with him as part of the “Normandy Format.” And now, apparently, Zelenskyy is also “illegitimate,” even though his visit to Paris in December 2019 legitimized him as the leader of Ukraine, which should have put an end to any speculation.

"This topic hasn’t gained traction in Ukraine’s domestic agenda, even after the current president has been in power for five years."

So the Russian rhetoric about legitimacy/illegitimacy isn’t new. It’s just a broken record that, in Putin’s mind, will trigger an electoral process in Ukraine, leading to political chaos within the country. A classic FSB operation.

I hope everyone understands this perfectly well.

Source

About the author: Viktor Shlinchak, Chairman of the Board of the Institute of World Policy.

The editorial team does not always share the views expressed by blog authors.