Moscow is prepared to begin negotiations with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, provided he is legitimized through another presidential election, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Speaking at his annual end-of-year press conference on Thursday, Putin stressed that any future deals between Russia and Ukraine would have to be signed by the legitimate authorities in Kiev, which currently means the Ukrainian parliament, the Rada, according to the president.

Putin explained that under the Ukrainian Constitution, there is no mechanism for extending the presidential term during martial law and that only the Rada has the authority to prolong its term without holding elections during wartime.

He noted that given the president of Ukraine is responsible for appointing the heads of ministries, security services, and other regional and governmental bodies, the fact that Vladimir Zelensky’s term ran out earlier this year effectively means that all of these agency heads are illegitimate.

Nevertheless, Putin stated that Moscow remains open to talks with Kiev without any preconditions, except those that had already been agreed in Istanbul in 2022, which envisaged a neutral, non-aligned status for Ukraine, as well as certain restrictions on deploying foreign weaponry. He also noted that such talks would have to respect the realities on the ground that have developed since that time.

As for who Russia would be willing to negotiate with, Putin stated that as long as they obtain legitimacy through a public vote, Moscow will talk to anyone, even Vladimir Zelensky.

“Now, if Ukraine truly wants to go down the path of peaceful resolution, it can do so by organizing it inside the country however they want. But we can only sign agreements with those who are legitimate, and the only ones who are [now] legitimate are the Rada and the Rada chairman.”

Last month, Putin reiterated that the Ukrainian leadership has no legal right to give orders to the army or force people to die, arguing that the current authorities in Kiev have effectively usurped power by bypassing elections.

Parliamentary and presidential elections in Ukraine, scheduled for October 2023 and March 2024, were canceled on the orders of Zelensky, who said that no polls would be held while martial law remains in force.

Zelensky’s presidential term officially expired in May but he has nevertheless remained in power. According to a recent poll conducted by the Sociological Association of Ukraine, Zelensky would receive only 16% of the vote if an election was held today.