A country is more than its government. And if there are no democratic institutions, why is a dictatorship necessarily an "illegitimate" government?
Governments in general don't inherently deserve respect. Dictatorships are defined by brutal repression and cruelty towards the masses done so that the elites on top can keep their lavish lifestyles and unchecked power (and "brutal repression and cruelty" in this case is far worse than anything we see in the US). I don't see why a government defined by the oppression of the populace deserves to be respected and protected. What is your justification for that?
By your logic, was no 15th century government legitimate because none were democratic by today's standards?
No 15th century government was inherently deserving of sovereignty, yes.