“Kremlin leader Volodymyr Putin has said that a change of Ukrainian government is a prerequisite for negotiations with Russia, once again distorting Ukrainian legislation and calling into question the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: ISW
Details: On December 16, Putin voiced a false thesis that the Constitution of Ukraine only allows the extension of the powers of the Verkhovna Rada, but not the president, even under martial law. He stated that Ukraine allegedly violates constitutional norms by continuing the powers of Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
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In fact, as ISW points out, Ukrainian law clearly regulates the electoral process during martial law, which has been in place since February 2022. In such conditions, it is impossible to hold presidential, parliamentary or local elections. Accordingly, the decision to suspend the elections in 2024 is legal and complies with the provisions of the Constitution.
The Kremlin actively uses the distortion of Ukrainian laws to delegitimize the Ukrainian government. Putin revived this narrative, not heard since the summer of 2024, to emphasize the need for a change of power in Kyiv as a condition for any negotiations with Russia. According to ISW, the Kremlin is not interested in honest negotiations and seeks maximum concessions from Ukraine, in particular by removing the legitimate government.
Literally: “Kremlin officials continue to grossly distort the Ukrainian Constitution to support this narrative. This is consistent with years of Russian propaganda aimed at undermining Ukrainian sovereignty.”
Key findings:
- Russian ruler Vladimir Putin’s continued fixation on Russia’s Oreshnik ballistic missile and Russia’s non-nuclear deterrent suggests that the Kremlin may be looking for ways to move away from its ongoing nuclear blackmail.
- Putin reiterated the false Russian narrative that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is illegitimate, reaffirming that the overthrow of Ukraine’s legitimate democratic government is one of the Kremlin’s conditions for a negotiated settlement of the war.
- Russian Defense Minister Andriy Belousov used the meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry collegium on December 16 to reaffirm Putin’s previously stated territorial goals in Ukraine as another Kremlin demand for a negotiated settlement of the war.
- Belousov used his speech to position himself as an efficient and innovative manager, sharply contrasting his leadership with former defense minister and current Security Council secretary Sergei Shoigu.
- Putin has ordered the Defense Ministry to create an unmanned systems force as part of an ongoing effort to centralize control over Russia’s irregular drone units.
- Belousov argues that the Russian army is recruiting enough troops to replace the losses it has been suffering recently, but that the intensification of offensive operations has already and will likely continue to affect the effectiveness of covert mobilization.
- Russia continues to negotiate with the interim Syrian government to maintain its military presence at the Khmeimim air base and the port of Tartus, but recent appeals by the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham suggest that the talks may be at an impasse.
- Russia continues to withdraw elements of its military group from Syria to the west coast, amid limited reports that Moscow plans to fully withdraw troops within one month.
- Ukrainian troops recovered their lost positions near Pokrovsk, and Russian troops advanced near Chasovoy Yar, Kurakhovo, Velika Novosilka and in the Kursk region.
- The Russian government has appointed Russian Defense Minister Andriy Belousov as chairman of the supervisory board of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Military Construction Company, likely part of ongoing anti-corruption efforts at the ministry.