"Any potential mediator has to take that particular factor into account, because discussions of any questions and in particular the signing of any documents with a leader who is no longer legitimate, really runs counter to common sense," Nebenzia told a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
Any potential talks on Ukraine also need to take into account Russia’s security concerns and new territorial realities, Nebenzia said.
He called a Ukraine peace conference to be hosted by Switzerland in June "a continuation of previous failed meetings" that resulted in "no added value."
Russia is not on the guest list of the peace conference. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting is clearly not results oriented, as it is impossible to have effective talks on Ukraine without Russia's participation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that the question of Zelensky's legitimacy as the president of Ukraine should be answered by the political and legal system of Ukraine itself. The issue is important for Russia since when it comes to signing any consequential documents, Russia wants to sign them with legitimate authorities, Putin added.