Russia is more democratic than Ukraine, where state institutions have lost their legitimacy, according to the Kremlin, Russian propaganda and politicians wanted by the law.
NEWS: After Volodymyr Zelensky's term ended on May 20, Ukraine is led by an impostor. The Constitution does not provide for the extension of mandates in the absence of elections, which have been cancelled in an illegal fashion.
“No elections took place, but who said that their mandate is bound to continue? The Constitution makes no such mention”, Vladimir Putin said. In this context, the head of the Supreme Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, is the rightful interim president. But he publicly refused this office, although the law is on his side [...]
According to the former Minister of Education and the author of the Constitution of Ukraine, Dmytro Tabachnyk, the entire political leadership has become illegitimate. According to the Constitution, the president appoints the heads of district and regional administrations, as well as heads of military district and city administrations under martial law [...]
In Russia, which is said to be an undemocratic country, governors are elected by public vote, whereas in the so-called Ukrainian democracy, heads of regional administration are appointed by the president. The president’s loss of legitimacy delegitimizes the entire state apparatus of Ukraine.
NARRATIVES: 1. The Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament refused to take over the office of the head of state, although the law is on his side. 2. Local Ukrainian authorities are no longer legitimate. 3. Russia is more democratic than Ukraine
BACKGROUND: Due to large-scale war, presidential elections could not be held in Ukraine in the spring of 2024. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected president of Ukraine in April 2019, being sworn in on May 20. At the end of his 5-year mandate, Russian media and politicians in Moscow accused Zelenskyy of monopolizing power, of refusing to hold elections in order to remain in power, challenging the legitimacy of all state institutions in Ukraine.
The Russia-1 TV station broadcast a show produced by Russian propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov, who cites certain Ukrainian politicians who have fled to Russia as well as Russian president Vladimir Putin, in order to convince the public opinion that not just Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but Ukrainian authorities as a whole, a central and local level, have purportedly lost legitimacy in Ukraine.
PURPOSE: To build up trust of Russian citizens in political elites in Moscow. To justify the occupation of new Ukrainian territories (cities, villages, districts) claiming the local authorities are illegitimate.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: In fact, Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk has never commented on the possibility of taking over the position of interim head of state in Ukraine, nor has he refused the position. Russian state media created a false narrative about the existence of a public discussion in Ukraine regarding the transfer of power from Zelenskyy to Stefanchuk, but such discussions have never taken place in Ukraine and have no sound legal basis.
According to Articles 108-112 in the Constitution of Ukraine, the Supreme Rada Speaker can take over the attributes of head of state in case the president of Ukraine dies or finds himself unable to exercise his constitutional prerogatives. One such case occurred in 2014, when president Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia.
As Veridica wrote last week, Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains a legitimate and lawful president in Ukraine until the martial law period is lifted. Holding any elections during martial law is prohibited under Art. 19 in the Martial Law of 2015. The law states that all postponed elections must be held no later than 90 days once martial law is lifted. On the other hand, the Constitution of Ukraine allows all elected political entities to carry out their activity during martial law, being deemed lawful and legitimate.
To boost the credibility of this false narrative, the author invokes Dmytro Tabachnyk, presented as the author of the Constitution and a former Minister of Education, who told Russia-1 that Ukraine no longer has legitimate local authorities. Dmytro Tabachnyk fled to Russia along with president Viktor Yanukovych, where he was awarded a medal for supporting the “special military operation”. Tabachnyk encouraged and supported separatist movements in Donbas and Crimea, being cited by Russian media to add depth to propaganda and disinformation narratives.
Russia cannot be more democratic than Ukraine because the democratization of a society is not measured by the procedure of appointing governors, as the Russian media writes. Taking into account the fact that Vladimir Putin became president in 2024 following pseudo-elections, and that his lawful mandate ended in 2008, the question of democracy cannot be raised in Russia, a country ruled by an autocracy. International organizations have accused Russia of violating human rights, persecuting the opposition and the media, while the tendency of tightening state control over citizens is expanding to dangerous levels. Russia ranked 146th out of 167 countries in the democracy index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, between Venezuela and Guinea. Ukraine’s democracy reported a decline over 2022-2024 due to the Russian invasion. Ukraine's representatives have notified the European Council that Ukrainians’ rights and liberties might be restricted under martial law as Kyiv’s policymakers seek to expand the conscription campaign.
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