Posted on 05/24/2024 8:59:28 AM PDT by marshmallow
Volodymyr Zelenesky's constitutionally-mandated term as Ukraine's president expired on May 21. The leader canceled elections planned for March or April last November, claiming it was "utterly irresponsible" to discuss such matters amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
President Zelensky's legitimacy has expired, and Russia will proceed from this fact, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
"Of course, we are aware that the legitimacy of the current head of state [of Ukraine] has ended," Putin said at a press conference in Minsk on Friday after talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Putin recommended anyone looking for answers regarding Zelensky's legal status to look to the Ukrainian Constitution - which does not authorize the artificial extension of his presidential term under the pretext of martial law.
Lukashenko echoed Putin's assessment, saying that "there is no legal integrity, and cannot be any legal integrity" on this question.
"All the same, I believe that neither the current president nor the future one can resolve the big issues facing the state of Ukraine and the people of Ukraine. These issues will not be resolved by presidents. You know who will decide them. A lot has already been decided overseas, and what hasn't, will be decided later," Lukashenko said.
The Belarusian president added that there were plenty of people in Ukraine, both in the military and among civilians, who would like to lead the country, and "in a new way, [either] toward war or against war."
A defiant Zelensky has rejected questions on his legitimacy from his critics in Ukraine, and from Kiev's Western 'partners'. "My five-year term is not over yet. It is continuing due to martial law," Zelensky told Reuters on Tuesday.
Ukrainian parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk warned Wednesday that Kiev would consider anyone who doubts Zelensky's legitimacy "enemies of Ukraine" and "political bottom-feeders."
(Excerpt) Read more at sputnikglobe.com ...
“The last two years fought with our money and backing, will have no appreciable difference in outcome than a negotiated settlement years ago”
Then why didn’t Putin try to negotiate for Crimea and Donbas in 2014 instead of running his hamhanded and cowardly “Little Green Men” invasion?
That was the time for negotiations if there were to be any.
Instead Putin started a war and now war is coming home to Russia every day. Refineries are burning, factories are burning, and Putin insists on bashing his country to death on a virtual rock.
Whatever you want to say about Zelensky what is demonstrably true here is that he stands in the way of Putin’s dreams of empire.
I don’t think Russia is strong enough to project farther. As it is, he’s running out of men. In any event, we cannot go across the ocean to fight them without a proper declaration of war.
Russia is the “Italy” of the Modern Day Axis.
“Then why didn’t Putin try to negotiate for Crimea and Donbas in 2014 “
Those talks involved ukraine shelling civilians in donbass and crimea at that time.
“I don’t think Russia is strong enough to project farther.”
I agree. Russia is at this point a land power and their logistical reach is troubled. They’re having a hard time supplying their forces in Ukraine and that’s on their border.
“In any event, we cannot go across the ocean to fight them without a proper declaration of war.”
If Russia attacks into Estonia and Tallinn invokes Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty then no declaration of war is necessary. The NATO treaty and Article V were already ratified by the US Senate. They do not need to approve it a second time.
You’re mixing up your dates here. The shelling and fighting came AFTER Russia’s cowardly invasion of Crimea and Donbas.
Not really.
Ukraine was trying to ethnically cleanse ethnic Russians from donbass and crimea even back then.
Back when our media was being honest about Azov.
LOL. I bet you just LOVE Latvia!
Letting the world know we’re NOT going to jump right up to assist a corrupt country defend their equally corrupt ‘elites’ might be a favor to humanity. Time to move past toxic incentives that exist primarily to make us ‘feel good’ about ourselves at the expense of others.
Actually I don’t care and would prefer us to not be involved at all.
Latvia expelled all of their ethnic Russians who were Russian citizens and who would not learn to speak Latvian.
They correctly saw these people as a potential excuse for Putin to attack and invade Latvia so they were sent back to the country of their citizenship.
The USA should follow suit and likewise deport Russian citizens who refuse to assimilate.
“Agreed. Let’s start with the Putin apologists spreading the Kremlin’s lies on FR. 😂”
Wow...you dislike the Russians more than I do! LOL!
Yeah, and we didn’t get involved.
Yet we’re elbows deep in Ukraine.
But that’s because we didn’t have a corrupt laundromat going in Latvia, did we.
Latvia is a member of NATO and that’s why Russia couldn’t do or say much when Latvia expelled Russian citizens right back to Russia.
Latvia also tore down and destroyed Russian war memorials, I recall they relocated a Russian cemetery, and they tore down and destroyed a few Russian-era buildings that were reminders of Russian oppression. Lithuania and Estonia did similar things.
AH, so yes, NATO did indeed encroach eastward.
And while NATO claims that wholesale removal of populations in that fashion is evil, just what did they do about it?
“AH, so yes, NATO did indeed encroach eastward.”
Exactly which NATO army ‘encroached’?
Telling Russian citizens with valid Russian passports to haul their worthless carcasses back to Russia is the right of every country in the world.
“Latvia is a member of NATO “
So you’re the arbiter of who is worthless and where someone can live when they’ve lived somewhere their whole lives?
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