Senior Russian officials continue to deny the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president, government and constitution, as well as the sovereignty of Ukraine, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to pretend that he is interested in peace talks to end the war.
Russian Security Council Secretary Dmitry Medvedev said during the International Legal Forum in St. Petersburg on May 20 that the situation raises "serious questions" about who Russia could negotiate with during future peace talks.
This is what the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes.
The claims contradict Putin's announced agreement with his American counterpart Donald Trump to immediately begin bilateral talks with Ukraine.
The Constitution of Ukraine and Ukrainian law explicitly state that the country cannot hold elections while martial law is in force, and the authorities cannot lift it while the "threat of attack or danger to the state independence of Ukraine and its territorial integrity" remains.
Zelensky also recently clarified that a presidential decree from September 2022 does not prevent him from negotiating with Putin.
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Oleksandr Merezhko, recently stated that the Constitution of Ukraine "clearly" points to Zelensky as Ukraine's chief negotiator and notes that Zelensky's constitutional powers allow him to overturn past decrees.
ISW continues to assess that any long-term peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine must include an explicit recognition of legitimacy.
Medvedev has stated that Russia will consider the deployment of European forces a military threat and will categorize future deployments of European forces in Ukraine as legitimate military objectives. The threats are also part of an ongoing effort to portray the current war in Ukraine as an existential conflict between Russia and the West.
Ukraine's Western allies continue to provide military assistance and support for Ukraine's defense industry. Italian media reported in mid-May 2025 that Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto announced that Italy had approved the eleventh package of military aid to Ukraine, which will include one SAMP/T air and missile defense system, 400 M-113 armored personnel carriers, and ammunition.
Ukrainian state defense enterprise "Ukroboronprom" announced on May 20 that it had signed a memorandum of cooperation with Belgian ammunition manufacturer KNDS Belgium to coordinate the joint assembly of medium-caliber ammunition for automatic guns.
The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom announced several packages of sanctions against Russia on May 20. The package is the EU's largest yet, targeting Russia's stealth navy and the Russian energy and military-industrial sectors.
The EU also sanctions Russian troops for radiological, chemical and biological protection; 27th scientific center; and the 33rd Central Research and Testing Institute of the Russian Ministry of Defense for Russia's use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom also announced new sanctions against Russia's military, energy and financial sectors on May 20.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) confirmed the recent appointment of Colonel General Valery Solodchuk as commander of the Central Military District (CMD) on May 20.
Solodchuk was until recently the commander in Kursk.
Solodchuk replaces Colonel General Andrei Mordvichev, who reportedly recently replaced General Oleg Salyukov as commander of the Russian Ground Forces.