The debate over Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s legitimacy has been revived in France—not by pro-Kremlin commentators, but by Manuel Bompard, national coordinator of the left-wing La France Insoumise party.
His recent remarks questioned the Ukrainian president’s mandate and circulated an argument widely used by Moscow, French media reported. The controversy forces an essential question: who is Manuel Bompard in this dynamic, and why is he repeating a narrative crafted by the Kremlin?
When a French Political Leader Repeats a Kremlin Talking Point
On December 10, 2025, during an interview on France Inter, Bompard was asked about Donald Trump’s critique that “Ukraine is no longer a democracy” because it has not held presidential elections. Instead of contextualizing the situation, the LFI leader echoed the Kremlin’s central narrative: Zelenskyy’s term “has ended.”
Bompard emphasized the expiration of Zelenskyy’s mandate but failed to mention the fundamental reason no election can take place—Ukraine has been under martial law since February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Under such circumstances, elections are suspended for legal and security reasons, and this fact is widely recognized in international law and by Ukraine’s Constitution.
By omitting this context, Bompard reproduced a framing aggressively promoted by Russian officials and the Kremlin’s war propaganda since 2024.
A Message Aligned With Moscow’s Strategy
Since early 2024, Russia has insisted that Zelenskyy lost his legitimacy on March 31 of that year. Moscow argues that only the Verkhovna Rada—the Ukrainian parliament elected before the war—retains constitutional authority.
Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and propaganda outlets have repeatedly demanded negotiations only with “legitimate Ukrainian representatives,” implicitly excluding Zelenskyy to weaken Kyiv diplomatically.
This narrative was not influential in Western discourse—until it was adopted by influential figures such as Donald Trump and now echoed by certain voices in French politics.
By repeating the question, “Is it true that his term has ended?” Bompard adopted the Kremlin’s viewpoint without acknowledging the structural impossibility of elections under invasion.
Why Elections Cannot Be Held in Ukraine
Ukraine has been living under martial law for nearly four years. Some territories remain under Russian occupation, millions of civilians are displaced, millions of refugees came to the EU member countries, and any nationwide voting process would expose voters and electoral officials to extreme danger.
Key realities that Bompard omitted:
- Martial law legally suspends national elections.
- Russia continues to occupy Ukrainian territory and conduct daily strikes.
- Ukraine has consistently declared that it will hold elections after restoring security.
Zelenskyy himself has recently emphasized that he has “no intention of leading the country in peacetime” and that he is prepared to resign after Russia’s war ends. This directly contradicts the Kremlin’s portrayal of him as a leader clinging to power.
A Political Pattern Within La France’s Insoumise
This is not the first time that the left-wing LFI has echoed Kremlin narratives. The party was slow to recognize Russia as the aggressor in 2022 after Russians unleashed an all-out war against Ukraine and has repeatedly adopted positions that align with Moscow’s messaging, even unintentionally.
Bompard’s remarks follow similar statements by the LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon earlier in the summer, signaling a consistent rhetorical pattern playing into Russia’s hands.
While LFI positions itself as anti-war, its discourse risks amplifying Russian propaganda at a time when clarity is essential.
Who Is Manuel Bompard in This Debate?
Bompard is not a fringe figure. As national coordinator of LFI and one of its main strategists, he shapes the movement’s public line. His interventions carry significant weight in French political debate, especially on foreign policy and matters of international legitimacy.
By repeating a Russian talking point—whether knowingly or through omission—he brings a Kremlin narrative into mainstream French discourse. This is particularly concerning given that the argument only exists because Russia refuses to end the war, the one condition that would allow Ukraine to return to the democratic process.
Propaganda, Legitimacy, and War
The debate over Zelenskyy’s legitimacy is not merely rhetorical. It plays directly into Russia’s diplomatic strategy, aiming to fracture Western unity and delegitimize Ukraine’s leadership during wartime. The more this argument circulates in Western politics, the more Moscow benefits.
At the same time, Ukraine continues to express willingness to hold elections—once voters can participate safely and without the threat of missiles, occupation, or forced deportation.
For media observers, Bompard’s intervention highlights the importance of political responsibility: public figures must ensure that their critiques do not inadvertently strengthen the narratives of an aggressor state.
