ST. PETERSBURG, May 20. /TASS/. Agreements with Ukraine should be signed only by officials whose authority cannot later be questioned. This issue highlights the core problem of the illegitimacy of Ukraine’s executive branch, as emphasized by Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
Medvedev explained that such arrangements "will only be challenged if they are made by authorized persons."
"Our focus should be directed precisely on this," he stated during a plenary session at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF).
He further noted, "If, at present, the current Ukrainian executive branch and president are not recognized as having the authority to sign international treaties, and therefore cannot legitimately do so, then it is necessary to refer to Ukraine’s existing Constitution and identify the appropriate persons with such authority."
Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed to the zero sovereignty of modern Ukraine, as well as the illegitimacy of Vladimir Zelensky, who calls himself the head of state. The Ukrainian Constitution does not provide for the postponement of presidential elections during martial law (under this pretext Kiev refused to hold the vote), so Zelensky's powers expired on May 20, 2024. This may cause problems with the legal validity of international documents signed by him.