Russian President Vladimir Putin called for reflection regarding the expired mandate of the current Ukrainian government during his trip to Uzbekistan.
"As for the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government: indeed, such a serious, thorough analysis is necessary," Putin said at a press conference following his visit.
"The law of Ukraine... on the legal status of the martial law, states that presidential elections are not held during the period of martial law. But that doesn't mean they are extended. They are not held. But who said they should be extended? There is nothing about this in the Constitution," he added.
The president noted that the Ukrainian Constitution only provides for the extension of powers for the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament), with no mention of extending the president's powers.
"The Constitution of Ukraine provides for the extension of powers, but only for the Rada. There is nothing in the Ukrainian Constitution about extending the president's powers," Putin said.
He suggested that the intent of Ukraine's owners may be to shift the burden of unpopular decisions onto the current Kiev authorities.
"I think, and this is not related to the Constitution, that perhaps the intent of today's masters of Ukraine, who are overseas, is to burden the current executive branch with the responsibility of making all unpopular decisions," Putin said.
He noted that among such decisions is the further lowering of the conscription age.
The president also remarked that Russia and Ukraine would have reached an agreement long ago if those who lead Ukraine were guided by national interests rather than the interests of their masters.
"We would have resolved this conflict long ago, to mutual satisfaction. We would have found solutions with Ukraine. If Ukraine were currently led by people who were guided by national interests rather than the interests of their masters in Europe or overseas," Putin said.
Putin emphasized that the interests of the Ukrainian people are not being protected; the rulers of Ukraine do not care about their own people.
"Today's rulers of Ukraine do not care about these people; they do not consider them their own. That is the problem with Ukraine's tragedy today. They do not regard these people as their own; they do not protect the interests of the Ukrainian people today. And I hope that people will eventually feel this," Putin said.
On Foreign Mercs in Ukraine
Similarly, Putin stated that Russia is aware of the presence of Western mercenaries in Ukraine, under whose guise military instructors are also present.
"As for the possibility of mercenaries being in Ukraine, yes, we are well aware of this. There is nothing new here. What the military in Ukraine is now talking about, that they may appear, they have long been there. We hear English, French, Polish speech on the airwaves. We know they are there," Putin said.
He emphasized that military instructors are also present there under the guise of mercenaries.
However, Western mercenaries are suffering losses in Ukraine, and the West finds it increasingly difficult to conceal this.
"There was a question about long-range precision weapons. And who operates this weapon, who services it? Of course, these very instructors under the guise of mercenaries. That's it. They exist and suffer losses. Perhaps such a statement is related to the fact that it is becoming more and more difficult for them to conceal these losses," Putin said.
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that "Ukraine has the right" to attack "military targets on Russian territory." Stoltenberg also said that "some allies" have lifted corresponding restrictions on strikes, and he believes that "it is time to lift other restrictions" as well.
On Strikes Inside Russia
Putin went on to say that Russia is closely monitoring statements about strikes deep into its territory.
Earlier, Latvian President Egils Levits stated that he saw no reason to prevent Kiev from striking Russian territory with Western weapons.
"NATO representatives, especially in Europe, should be aware of what they are playing with. They should remember that this is usually a state with a small territory and a very dense population. This factor they should consider before striking deep into Russian territory," Putin said during a press briefing following his visit to Uzbekistan amid discussions about allowing Kiev to strike Russia.
The head of state recalled that six months ago, he publicly stated that if they continued to strike residential areas, Russia would be forced to create a buffer zone.
"We have moved to this," Putin concluded.
On Peace Talks
The Russian president once again highlighted that it was not Russia that stopped negotiating on the situation in Ukraine.
"We did not stop negotiating. They told us, 'That is it, we will not negotiate with you anymore'," Putin said.
Russia is ready to continue the negotiation process on Ukraine, but it is not known what will be on the table, the president added.
"We have never refused and are ready to continue the negotiation process, but we do not know what and who, bearing in mind here and the legitimacy of the representative of the Ukrainian government, will be offered to us at some other stages," Putin said.
On Relations With Afghanistan
Putin admitted to the press that problems in Afghanistan exist and they are well known to everyone, but it is necessary to build relations with the current government in the country.
"There are problems in Afghanistan, they are unconditional, they are well known to everyone. The issue of how to build relations with the current government is another question. But they must be built somehow, these are the people who control the country, control the territory of the country. They are the authorities in Afghanistan today," Putin said.
It is necessary to proceed from the realities and build relations accordingly, Putin added.
On Relations With Uzbekistan
President Putin said that the Central Asian nation’s accession to the five-state Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) would be a win-win for all.
"If an economy of the likes of Uzbekistan were to join the union, I think the Union would benefit from this. The Uzbekistani economy would also win. But this requires a complicated negotiating process," he said in Tashkent.
Putin said the Russian and Uzbekistani economies were growing closer together. As objectives for bilateral cooperation become clearer, so will outlooks for Uzbekistan’s integration with regional organizations, the Russian president said.