MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Ukraine could find a legal way to hold peace talks with Russia on ending their nearly three-year-old war, but Moscow sees no willingness on Kyiv’s part to engage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy immediately dismissed Putin’s statements questioning his legitimacy, saying that the Kremlin chief had shown he was afraid of talks and sought to prolong the war.
Putin told Russian state television that negotiations with Ukraine were complicated by Zelenskiy’s “illegitimacy” in remaining in power beyond his mandate with no authority to sign documents.
“But essentially, if they want to proceed, there is a legal way to do it. Let the chairman of the Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) handle it in accordance with the constitution,” Putin told top Kremlin reporter Pavel Zarubin.
“If there is a desire, we can resolve any legal issues. However, so far, we simply do not see such a desire.”
If Ukraine showed a desire to negotiate and seek compromises, Putin said, “let anyone suitable lead those talks. We will naturally secure what meets our interests.
“But in terms of signing documents, everything has to be done in a way that legal experts confirm the legitimacy of those who are authorised by the Ukrainian state to sign these agreements.”
Russia has long alleged that Zelenskiy no longer has legal authority as his term in office ran out in May 2024 and no presidential election has since been held.
Ukraine’s constitution empowers the speaker of parliament to act if the president is unable to do so.
But Ukrainian authorities say Zelenskiy remains the legitimate president on grounds that martial law has been in effect since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. They say wartime conditions do not allow for an election to be held.
Zelenskiy, writing on Telegram, said Putin had “once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders and is doing everything to prolong the war.”
The Russian president’s actions, he said, were “aimed at making the war endless.”
In his comments, Putin said that if Ukraine’s Western allies backed the notion of talks it would be simple to find a legal way to proceed with them. Putin said he had sent “an appropriate signal” to this effect to former President Joe Biden.
In addition, Putin said, a legal means could be found to rescind a 2022 Ukrainian presidential decree that Moscow says barred any talks with the Russian leadership.
Zelenskiy said last week that the decree, signed after Russia unilaterally annexed four Ukrainian regions, only barred negotiations with Ukrainian groups outside his authority and was aimed at blocking talks with separatists.
(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; editing by Ron Popeski, Mark Heinrich, Leslie Adler and David Gregorio)