BEIJING, September 3. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday that he has never ruled out the possibility of meeting with Vladimir Zelensky, but questioned the usefulness of such talks.
"As for possible meetings with Mr. Zelensky, I have already spoken about this before. In general, I have never ruled out the possibility of such a meeting," Putin said, adding, "but what would be the point of a meeting like that?"
"Let’s see. In accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, some may agree with him [Zelensky], others may not, but you just need to read the text carefully - there’s no way to prolong the powers of the president of Ukraine in the Constitution, no way whatsoever," he continued. "He was elected for five years, and five years have passed, so that’s all, the powers expired."
He agreed that, according to Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held under martial law.
"But this does not mean that the powers of the president are prolonged. This means that his powers expire, and his rights are transferred to the Speaker of the Rada. Including his powers as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief," Putin added.
