Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, recently stated that Ukraine has been without a legitimate government since the 2014 Maidan coup. He pointed out that Vladimir Zelensky, Ukraine's current president, does not hold legal power, arguing that his presidency is not recognized as valid. Peskov noted that Zelensky chose not to hold elections after his five-year term expired on May 20, citing martial law due to the conflict with Russia.

In an interview with Izvestia during the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Peskov emphasized that de jure, Zelensky lacks legitimacy as the president of Ukraine. He suggested that the legitimacy crisis began in 2014 with the coup and warned that this "snowball of illegitimacy" would present challenges for Ukrainians in the future. Meanwhile, Peskov insisted that Russia remains open to political negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict, although he criticized Kyiv and its Western allies for not being willing to participate in constructive dialogue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had echoed similar sentiments in June, asserting that the war in Ukraine originated from an unconstitutional coup rather than being instigated by Russia. He argued that after Zelensky's term ended, control should have shifted to Ukraine’s parliament. Moreover, Putin claimed that Zelensky's decision to remain in power constituted a legal breach, specifically referencing Article 109 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code regarding power seizure.

Putin further articulated that Ukraine's Western supporters are currently keeping Zelensky in power, only to later assign blame for difficult decisions, like lowering the mobilization age to 18. He suggested that the US administration would compel Ukrainian leadership to undertake these unpopular actions before ultimately discarding Zelensky.