'Illegitimate' Zelensky Will Likely End up Fleeing, Putin Says

Russian leader says the only way he'd negotiate with the Ukrainian leader is if he runs for office and becomes Kyiv's legitimate leader

Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual “Direct Line press event” and took a wide range of questions from reporters about Ukraine and recent developments in the war, according to Russia’s RT.

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There has been a whirlwind of new developments in the conflict, ranging from Ukraine’s high-profile assassination of Gen. Igor Kirillov in Moscow and recent comments from incoming president Donald Trump about the “stupid” decision by the White House to approve long-range strikes for Ukraine.

Putin was asked if he regretted his decision to attack Ukraine in February 2022 and he said he did not, and only wished he intervened earlier, the report said. He said the war took its toll on Russia.

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The Russian president spoke about how the war could end, but he identified Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s illegitimacy as one of the roadblocks. Zelensky’s term was supposed to end in May 2024, but he banned elections in Ukraine.

(Zelensky, who was wrapping up his first five-year term, found a loophole in the country’s constitution that states elections cannot be held while under martial law. Zelensky declared martial law on 24 February 2022, the day Russia invaded.)

Putin said any agreement would need to be signed by Ukraine’s parliament or the country’s next president, after an election. He said that would include Zelensky.

“Soon, there won’t be anyone left in Ukraine willing to fight. When that happens, Zelensky will likely flee abroad, just like other Western-installed leaders before him,” Putin said, according to RT.

Al Jazeera reported in 2021 that there are two offshore companies that belong to Zelensky’s partners and were used to purchase “three lavish properties in central London.”