Senior Russian officials continue to deny the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president, government, and constitution and Ukraine’s sovereignty despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent efforts to feign interest in peace negotiations to end the war. Russian Security Council Secretary Dmitry Medvedev claimed during the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum on May 20 that there are currently no Ukrainian officials with the authority to conclude a peace treaty with Russia and that Russia may need to consult Ukraine’s Constitution to identify authorized negotiation partners.[1] Medvedev questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty and claimed that Ukraine is a “failed state” whose leaders’ lack of legitimacy raises “serious questions” about who Russia can negotiate with during future peace negotiations.[2] Medvedev‘s claims directly contradict Putin’s reported agreement with US President Donald Trump to immediately begin bilateral negotiations with Ukraine.[3] Medvedev’s statements indicate that Russia is, in fact, not interested in engaging with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian government officials who are key to bilateral negotiations to end the war.
Russian officials have repeatedly promoted the false narrative that Zelensky and the Ukrainian government are illegitimate to justify Russia’s refusal to engage in good-faith negotiations with Ukraine and further Russia’s long-standing war goal of establishing a pro-Russian puppet government in Kyiv.[4] Ukraine’s Constitution and Ukrainian law explicitly state that Ukraine cannot hold elections while martial law is in place and that Ukrainian authorities cannot lift martial law while “the threat of attack or danger to the state independence of Ukraine and its territorial integrity” remains.[5] Zelensky also recently clarified that a September 2022 presidential decree does not preclude him from negotiating with Putin.[6] Chairperson of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada Foreign Affairs Committee Oleksandr Merezhko recently stated that Ukraine’s Constitution “clearly” specifies Zelensky as Ukraine’s chief negotiator and noted that Zelensky’s constitutional powers allow him to override past decrees.[7] ISW continues to assess that any long-term peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine must include Russia’s explicit recognition of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president, government, and the Ukrainian Constitution.[8]
Ukraine’s Western allies continue to provide military aid to Ukraine and support Ukraine’s defense industry. Italian media reported in mid-May 2025 that Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced that Italy approved an eleventh military aid package for Ukraine, which will include one SAMP/T air and missile defense system, 400 M-113 armored personnel carriers, and ammunition.[14] Ukrainian state-owned defense enterprise manager Ukroboronprom reported on May 20 that it signed a memorandum of cooperation with Belgian ammunition manufacturer KNDS Belgium to coordinate the joint assembly of medium-caliber ammunition for automatic cannons.[15]
The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) announced several sanctions packages against Russia on May 20.[16] The package is the EU’s largest targeting Russia’s shadow fleet and the Russian energy and military-industrial sector.[17] The EU also sanctioned the Russian Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops; the 27th Scientific Center; and the Russian Ministry of Defense’s 33rd Central Scientific Research and Testing Institute for Russia’s use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.[18] The UK also announced new sanctions against Russia’s military, energy, and financial sectors on May 20.[19]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-20-2025
As much as pitin “loves his history”,Russian mir cares not for anything but their version. So I stand by the idea that pitin rejects that the Soviet union was actually desolved.
Perhaps pitin should go back far enough and decide that Russia still belongs to the Mongolians 😎🤔