LONDON, September 17. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky can remain in power only on the condition of continuing the conflict with Moscow, Russian Ambassador to London Andrey Kelin said.

"What we do have in Ukraine, it’s a conflict, as you say, between monism and pluralism. That is true," the ambassador told political scientist Richard Sakwa. "It’s now what we do have in the impersonation of Zelensky. It’s a figure that can live only in the conditions of this war, because otherwise he will be toppled and he will have to leave," the diplomat emphasized.

Zelensky's term expired on May 20. Ukraine is still actively discussing the issue of the government's legitimacy in the absence of parliamentary and presidential elections, which cannot be held under martial law. Meanwhile, Ukraine's former ambassador to the United Kingdom, Vadim Pristaiko, admitted that Kiev's Western partners are also concerned about the expiration of Zelensky's term. Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Ukraine is trying to sweep under the rug the May 2014 decision of its very own Constitutional Court that the presidential term cannot be extended. According to Putin, this means that Zelensky's term "expired along with his legitimacy, which can in no way be restored.".