German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has vehemently denied the claim made by US President Donald Trump, who labeled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator”. “It is simply false and dangerous to deny President Zelensky’s democratic legitimacy” Scholz told the Spiegel in an interview on Wednesday.
“It is true that Volodymyr Zelensky is the democratically elected head of state of Ukraine. The fact that no regular elections can be held in the midst of war corresponds to the Ukrainian Constitution and election laws. No one should claim otherwise” the SPD leader emphasized.
Scholz recalled that it was Russia under Vladimir Putin that initiated the war in Ukraine. “Ukraine has been defending itself for almost three years against a merciless Russian aggression war, day after day” the Chancellor stated.
Trump, who has refused to acknowledge the results of the 2020 US presidential election, had labeled Zelensky a dictator on his platform, saying, “As a dictator without elections, Zelensky should act quickly, or he will no longer have a country.” The Republican also stated that negotiations with Russia would continue.
Zelensky’s term as president ended formally on May 20, 2024, but the war-induced state of emergency has suspended all elections. A similar provision is also found in the German Basic Law, which stipulates that election periods cease to exist six months after the end of a state of defense, as per Article 115h.