Why did Putin declare Zelensky “illegitimate”: ISW analyzed the words of the Kremlin head

ISW analyzed Putin's statement about Zelensky's illegitimacy/Photo Getty Images

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin grossly distorted the Ukrainian Constitution and our legislation to further the Kremlin's information operation that claimed Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky was no longer the legitimate president of Ukraine. Thus, the head of the Kremlin tried to pass himself off as an expert on Ukrainian legislation.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War note this. They told who exactly Putin’s statements about Zelensky’s “illegitimacy” are aimed at.

Why does Putin declare Zelensky’s “illegitimacy”

It is likely that Putin is deliberately inflating his statements with such subtle legal niceties to create the impression that he is educated in Ukrainian legal matters and has a clear voice on the matter. The use of such language is also likely intended to trick listeners into believing Putin's false narratives without fact-checking, as legal jargon is inherently dense and opaque, the ISW report noted.

At the same time, ISW experts emphasize that in fact the Ukrainian Constitution and the law on martial law are not so opaque that the average reader cannot understand them. However, distortions spread by the Kremlin are mainly aimed at foreign – mainly Western – audiences.

At the Institute for the Study of War also point to errors in the interpretation of Putin's statement by Reuters, which paraphrased the Russian dictator's statement but did not point out obvious errors.

Reuters noted that Zelensky and allies believed it was right not to elections in wartime, without mentioning that the Constitution of Ukraine prohibits their holding under martial law, and the situation itself cannot be canceled as long as there is a threat to Ukraine as a state, and Zelensky, meanwhile, remains the legitimate president of Ukraine until his successor takes office.

Accusations of Zelensky’s “illegitimacy” from Putin and Lukashenko: briefly

• At a press conference in Minsk on May 26, Putin and Lukashenko said that Zelensky’s legitimacy was over.
• Putin “advised” turning to the Ukrainian constitution to answer the question about the legitimacy of Zelensky
• The self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, commenting on the legitimacy of Vladimir Zelensky, said this: “There is no and cannot be legal purity here.”