Serious Questions.

A trustworthiness problem.

“It’s the first thing I read every morning.” — David Barboza, founder of WireScreen and former Shanghai Bureau Chief for The New York Times.

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1. Senior Russian officials continue to deny the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president, government, and constitution and Ukraine's sovereignty despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent efforts to feign interest in peace negotiations to end the war. Russian Security Council Secretary Dmitry Medvedev claimed during the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum on May 20 that there are currently no Ukrainian officials with the authority to conclude a peace treaty with Russia and that Russia may need to consult Ukraine’s Constitution to identify authorized negotiation partners. Medvedev questioned Ukraine's sovereignty and claimed that Ukraine is a "failed state" whose leaders’ lack of legitimacy raises "serious questions" about who Russia can negotiate with during future peace negotiations. Medvedev‘s claims directly contradict Putin’s reported agreement with US President Donald Trump to immediately begin bilateral negotiations with Ukraine. Medvedev’s statements indicate that Russia is, in fact, not interested in engaging with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian government officials who are key to bilateral negotiations to end the war. (Source: understandingwar.org)

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