Vladimir Zelensky: No mandate, no election. So what now?
Dmitry Drize | With his term in office having reached its expiry date and the conflict going badly for Kiev, the Ukrainian leader is in a very difficult situation | On May 20, Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky’s political powers officially expired. He retains his position, however, because no elections can be held in the country, reportedly due to the current state of martial law. ● Responding to a question last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin's most recent comment on the situation was to the effect that peace agreements can only be signed with legitimate leaders. Putin added that the Ukrainian legal system should draw the necessary conclusions.