Russia backs out of potential Ukraine peace memo, citing new excuse

In a comment to the media, the Director of the Legal Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maksim Musikhin, reiterated an old propaganda narrative, claiming that a new government in Ukraine is necessary to sign any document. According to him, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada may not be a suitable signatory, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is allegedly illegitimate.

"What matters is whose signature is on the documents, because their current leader has long since lost even internal legitimacy, let alone external. Accordingly, there may be problems with the validity of any agreement signed by such a person," he said.

A representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that it is essential to be certain that the person signing a settlement agreement on behalf of Ukraine is someone who has a mandate from the people, otherwise, there will be problems. He emphasized that Zelenskyy is not suitable for the role of signatory.

"The Ukrainian people must, through a free expression of will, choose their new leader. Then there will be a legitimate signatory. Right now, it's about certain internal requirements of the Ukrainian constitution. Technically speaking, if you look at it formally, it's the head of parliament (in this case, Ruslan Stefanchuk – ed.) who has certain powers to sign. Whether he will be allowed to do so within his own country is a big question," the official said.

He also noted that the memorandum discussed by Putin with US President Donald Trump needs a new signatory, but that this is allegedly a problem at present. In addition, Musikhin added that the identity of the signatory to any future settlement documents will also have to be carefully considered.

Why elections in Ukraine are impossible

Russia has repeatedly promoted its propagandistic claim about the alleged illegitimacy of Ukraine's government. However, these assertions are entirely false.

Due to the ongoing full-scale war, martial law has been imposed in Ukraine, making it impossible to hold elections. Neither the Constitution nor objective conditions allow this: how can soldiers vote, how can those abroad vote, what would the general voter list be, and many other practical issues remain unresolved.

Moreover, despite the expiration of the terms of both the president and the parliament, the elected representatives of the state remain legitimate during martial law. Once the war ends and martial law is lifted, the issue of elections will immediately become a priority.

Meetings between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European heads of state, US President Donald Trump, and many other world leaders confirm the legitimacy of Ukraine’s head of state.

Putin’s memorandum

On Monday, a lengthy phone conversation took place between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Following the call, the Kremlin leader addressed journalists and stated that Russia was ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum concerning a possible future peace agreement. He emphasized that this was part of his understanding with the American president.

However, within a day, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov clarified that there were no specific deadlines for the preparation of the memorandum and that none could be set. He also stated that the draft would be jointly formulated by Russia and Ukraine, with the goal of producing a unified text.

After the news about the memorandum emerged, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented that the Ukrainian side would be able to outline its vision upon receiving the document or proposals from the Russian side.

Yesterday, advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, warned that the Kremlin’s peace memorandum could include conditions leading to a complete loss of Ukrainian sovereignty. This could involve everything from control over the army and weapons to limiting Ukrainians’ rights to their policies and territory.