Zelensky will retain power despite legitimacy concerns

Significance

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s original five-year term legally expired last week. The absence of a presidential election -- effectively ruled out by the ongoing war -- has allowed Moscow to question Zelensky’s legitimacy as the head of state. Although Ukraine and its allies have brushed off these claims, the situation does present Kyiv with a problem. Russian propaganda is influential in some parts of the world, especially the Global South, and could undermine the perception of Zelensky’s legitimacy outside Ukraine's supporters in the West.

Impacts

• Questions over Zelensky's legitimacy will not affect the West’s resolve to support Ukraine.
• Russia’s campaign against Zelensky inside Ukraine is likely to prove counter-productive and encourage internal unity rather than dissent.
• Kyiv will step up diplomatic efforts to counter Moscow’s narrative, especially in regions more susceptible to Russian propaganda.