News Feed

German foreign minister, European Commission voice support for Zelensky's legitimacy

2 min read
German foreign minister, European Commission voice support for Zelensky's legitimacy
President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Kyiv on May 21. (President Volodymyr Zelensky/X)

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano voiced their support for President Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy on May 21.

Zelensky's five-year term expired on May 20, but elections have been suspended due to martial law, so he will stay on as president. Critics and Russian propagandists have questioned the legitimacy of his rule, but elections are unlikely in the near future.

"It is impossible to organize elections in such a situation," Stano said at a press conference, cited by Ukrainska Pravda. Under Ukrainian law, elections during martial law are forbidden.

"We (in the EU) also have no doubts that the president of Ukraine is Volodymyr Zelensky," Stano said.

Video thumbnail

The sentiment was reiterated by Baerbock, who said at a press conference in Kyiv with her counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, "It is clear that Volodymyr Zelensky is the rightful and legitimate president of Ukraine."

Baerbock also criticized Russian officials who have said that Zelensky is an illegitimate president.

"The very people who started this war and made the elections impossible are now bringing the narrative to the world about the alleged illegitimacy of the president because he was not re-elected," she said.

Constitutional lawyers have said that the extension of Zelensky's term, under martial law conditions, is legal.

Baerbock added that the constitutions of many countries, including Germany, forbid holding elections during martial law.

Zelensky’s term would have expired this month, but he’s staying. Russia wants to use it
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s term in office is supposed to end on May 20, 2024 – but it won’t. As Russia’s war delayed the elections and Zelensky’s term is looking indefinite, Ukraine’s President’s Office is preparing to weather the storm of critics questioning the president’s legitimacy. Offici…
Article image
News Feed
Video

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, war has become a daily reality for thousands of Ukrainian children. Some Ukrainian military units, such as the Azov Brigade, offer boot camps for teenagers to teach them the basics of self-defense, first aid, dry firing, and other survival skills — helping them prepare for both the realities of today and the uncertainties of the future.

Show More