Putin's legitimacy recognized only by Putin - Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday, explaining the difference between the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president and the Russian leader, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The legitimacy of 'comrade' Putin is recognized only by 'comrade' Putin, and Putin is elected by Putin. The Russian people are just the scenery, they have only one actor," Zelensky said.

At the same time, he added, the legitimacy of President Zelensky "is recognized exclusively by the people of Ukraine."

"It is the people of Ukraine who elect him. And I am grateful to them for their support. Our people are free. This is what we are fighting for," Zelensky said.

Ukraine's Center for Combating Disinformation earlier warned that Russia had intensified its propaganda campaign around the issue of elections in Ukraine and the alleged "loss of legitimacy" by the Ukrainian authorities. The topic of the Ukrainian president's "illegitimacy" after May 20 is a key element in a large-scale Russian psychological operation aimed at destabilizing the situation in Ukraine.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted that Russian allegations about Zelensky's lack of legitimacy are a known Kremlin information operation that Kremlin officials have been promoting extensively in recent weeks, in part targeted at foreign audiences.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine