MOSCOW 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the only legitimate power in Ukraine right now is the parliament called Verkhovna Rada and its speaker, according to this country’s constitution. 

Speaking at a news conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, live-streamed on Russian TV, Putin emphasized that Ukraine's constitution provides for the extension of the parliamentary term but not for presidential authority under martial law.

"There is Article 111 of the Constitution of Ukraine, which says that in this case (under the expiry of the presidential term and impossibility to hold election), the authority of the supreme power, in fact, the presidential authority, is transferred to the speaker of parliament," he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presidential term expired on May 20. Presidential elections in Ukraine were scheduled for March 31, with the inauguration of the newly elected president to take place in May. However, the vote was canceled due to martial law and general mobilization.

Last week, President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow considers Zelenskyy's legitimacy to be over. He emphasized that in the context of resuming negotiations with Ukraine, it is crucial to ascertain who the appropriate and legitimate representatives are for signing legal documents.