ST. PETERSBURG, June 5. /TASS/. The United States will put up with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky until the spring of 2025, but then he will be replaced, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the heads of international news agencies, which was organized by TASS.
"It is not an easy story," he said speaking about the lower age limitations for a military call-up in Ukraine.
"The law has to be passed and certain steps have to be taken. Now we are in June 2024, and in order to do this, I feel, it will take a year, until the spring, until the beginning of next year at the very least, he (Vladimir Zelensky - TASS) will be tolerated. When he is done, they will say: ‘Goodbye’," Putin said.
The president added that the West already has "a few candidates" for the post of Ukraine’s president.
Zelensky’s presidential term can be viewed as an attempt to seize power in accordance with the country’s Criminal Code, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"There is a law that defines the martial law status," the Russian leader said, explaining the situation about Zelensky’s expired presidential term. "It says that [his] powers are transferred to the parliament, and that presidential elections are not held as long as the martial law is in force. But it does not say that presidential powers should be extended. <…> If it does not say so, it means no."
"There is also Article 109 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which says that this should be treated as seizure of power," he added.