Putin ready for talks with Zelensky, Kremlin says, repeats false 'legitimacy' claims

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is ready for talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, but "legal aspects related to his legitimacy" must be considered, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 18 in an interview with Russian news agency Interfax.

Russia has widely used the claim that Zelensky is illegitimate in its propaganda to discredit the Ukrainian government. The false claim is based on the premise that Zelensky's first term in office was originally meant to end on May 20, 2024.

But Russia's full-scale invasion and the subsequent declaration of martial law in Ukraine has meant elections have been impossible to hold and his term has been extended, something constitutional lawyers say is allowed under Ukrainian law.

"Putin himself has repeatedly said he would be ready to negotiate with Zelensky if necessary. At the same time, the legal fixation of the agreements is subject to serious discussion, considering the reality," Peskov said.

When asked about a potential meeting between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, Peskov said he did not know when it would occur.

"No, there is no such understanding, but perhaps there will be some attempts based on the results of today's talks (in Riyadh). But we will find out about it later, after the end of this dialog," he said.

Under the martial law act passed by Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, presidential, parliamentary and local elections are banned.

If martial law had not been imposed, the next presidential election would have been held on March 31, 2024, and Zelensky's term would have ended on May 20, 2024.

Earlier, Putin said that Russia is prepared to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the war in Ukraine.

On Feb. 18, U.S. and Russian officials began talks in Saudi Arabia on how to end Moscow's war in Ukraine. A Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is meeting a U.S. delegation led by State Secretary Marco Rubio.