Kremlin questions Zelenskyy’s mandate to dodge peace deal
Ukrainian people need to “elect new leadership” in order to sign a peace memorandum with Russia, Maksim Musikhin, Legal Department head at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, claimed, TASS state propaganda outlet wrote on May 22.
Musikhin reiterated the Kremlin’s long-standing propaganda claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had “long lost internal legitimacy, let alone external.”
“It must be absolutely certain that the person signing any peace agreement on behalf of Ukraine has a mandate from the people, or problems may arise,” he claimed.
“The Ukrainian people must, through free expression of will, choose new leadership — then there will be a legitimate signatory. Right now, it’s a matter of certain internal constitutional procedures. Technically, if we look formally, the head of parliament might have some powers to sign. But whether he’ll be allowed to do that within his own country is a big question.”
Musikhin also remarked that the so-called memorandum discussed in a recent call between Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump would “require the right signatory,” but that “this is now a problem.”
On May 19, in his call with Trump, Putin claimed that Russia was willing to “work with Ukraine on a memorandum for a possible future peace agreement.” According to Putin, this might include “principles for a settlement, timelines for a possible peace deal, and potentially a temporary ceasefire if appropriate agreements are reached.”
However, Financial Times later reported, citing sources, that Ukraine had no idea what this “memorandum for a possible future peace deal” even is.
A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the matter said of Kyiv’s reaction: “Nobody knows what this is, what it’s for, or why it matters.”
Late in the evening on May 19, Zelenskyy told journalists he had no knowledge of this proposal.
Trump-Putin call on May 19
US President Donald Trump held a roughly two-hour phone call with Putin on May 19. Prior to that, he had a shorter conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to Axios and The Wall Street Journal, Trump asked Zelenskyy what issues he should raise with Putin.
Zelenskyy later said that in the call, they discussed issues important for Ukraine — including a ceasefire and the US possibly strengthening sanctions. He also urged Trump not to make decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine.
After the call with Putin, Trump announced that Ukraine and Russia will “immediately” begin negotiations for a ceasefire, with terms to be agreed upon by both sides. He also said the “tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent,” and that Russia wants to resume trade with the US after the war ends.
Trump relayed the outcome of his call with Putin to Zelenskyy and leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and the European Commission.
According to Financial Times, those present were “confused” by Trump’s account of the call as it became obvious that the US President was not ready to increase pressure on Putin to force him to negotiate.
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