Ukrainian parliament affirms Zelenskyy to remain president

MOSCOW

The Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday passed a resolution affirming Volodymyr Zelenskyy would remain the country's president during wartime.

With 268 votes in favor, the Verkhovna Rada approved the resolution, declaring that Zelenskyy’s powers will continue until the end of martial law.

Twelve lawmakers abstained from the vote.

The resolution said that, according to the Constitution, Zelenskyy remains Ukraine’s legitimately elected president, and elections will be held once peace is restored. His five-year term ended in May 2024.

The draft resolution failed to pass in its first attempt on Monday, receiving only 218 votes -- short of the required 226.

The failure was attributed to the European Solidarity party, led by former President Petro Poroshenko. However, on Tuesday, Poroshenko announced that his faction would no longer obstruct the adoption of "key defense and international legislation."

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump questioned Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, claiming he had only 4% public support and calling him a “dictator without elections.”

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Zelenskyy avoids talks with Russia because negotiations would likely lead to the swift end of martial law, removing the pretext for postponing elections. This, he argues, would force Zelenskyy to hold an election immediately, something he seeks to avoid.