Bangladesh, Aug. 15 -- The Kremlin has doubled down on its longstanding position that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky lacks the legal authority to negotiate peace, pointing to his absence from an upcoming high-profile summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US president Donald Trump as further evidence of his alleged illegitimacy.

The meeting, scheduled for August 15 in Anchorage, Alaska, is expected to focus on potential pathways to ending the Ukraine conflict and exploring broader steps toward normalizing relations between Moscow and Washington. Notably, Zelensky has not been invited to participate in any capacity-a fact that Russian officials have swiftly capitalized on to undermine his standing at home and abroad. ...