DISINFO: Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a "self-appointed" president without legitimacy
SUMMARY
The self-proclaimed Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who places himself above the elections, has taken the time to share his fantasies publicly with the only audience that matters to him: the West, especially the United States and, more specifically, its president, Donald Trump. Since it would probably be difficult for Zelenskyy to be heard in Washington these days – who likes a parasite who returns for the umpteenth time after being thrown out? – he had to do it publicly.
RESPONSE
This claim is false and serves as a central pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative intended to undermine the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 through a democratic process that international monitoring bodies, including the OSCE, validated as free and fair. The label "self-appointed" is a deliberate misrepresentation of the constitutional reality in Ukraine.
According to Article 108 of the Ukrainian Constitution, the President must continue to exercise his powers until a successor is officially inaugurated. Additionally, Article 19 of the Ukrainian Law "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law" specifically forbids holding national elections while the country is under martial law. These legal provisions are intended to ensure that the government remains functional and that elections are not held under conditions where millions of citizens—including soldiers at the front and refugees abroad—would be unable to vote safely.
As of February 2026, Zelenskyy is recognised by the international community, including the United Nations and the European Union, as the legitimate and lawful head of state. The postponement of elections is a direct consequence of the ongoing Russian invasion and is supported by a consensus of Ukraine’s political parties and civil society. By using terms like "self-appointed" and "regime," the text attempts to equate a democratically elected leader with an illegitimate dictator, ignoring the fact that his continued mandate is grounded in the Ukrainian constitution.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Zelenskyy is illegitimate and therefore Russia is directly fighting the West, that Ukraine’s fate is no longer in Zelenskyy's hands, that Moscow can’t trust any peace agreement as Zelenskyy’s regime is stable only when at war, or that Zelenskyy can’t sign a peace deal because he is not a legitimate president.