RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has proposed placing Ukraine under a temporary administration to facilitate new elections and the signing of key agreements aimed at ending the war between the two nations.
Russian news agencies reported early Friday that Putin made the remarks during his visit to the northern port of Murmansk.
The ICIR reports that Putin’s proposal seems to stem from his longstanding claim that Ukraine’s authorities lack legitimacy, given that President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained in power beyond the expiration of his mandate in May 2024.
“In principle, of course, a temporary administration could be introduced in Ukraine under the auspices of the UN (United Nations), the United States, European countries and our partners,” Putin was quoted to have said.
“This would be in order to hold democratic elections and bring to power a capable government enjoying the trust of the people and then to start talks with them about a peace treaty.”
He said that US President Donald Trump’s push for direct talks with Russia, unlike his predecessor, Joe Biden, who avoided such contact, demonstrated Trump’s desire for peace.
“In my opinion, the newly elected president of the United States sincerely wants an end to the conflict for a number of reasons,” he reportedly said.
Putin’s proposal comes amid US attempts to end the conflict by re-establishing links with Russia and engaging with Moscow and Kyiv, in separate talks.
The ICIR reported that the US announced on Tuesday that it had signed separate agreements with Moscow and Kyiv for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, even though Moscow had rejected the proposal for a broader 30-day ceasefire.
However, Russia later said that the pact would take effect only after additional conditions were met, including the lifting of sanctions on a state bank.
Ukraine and European leaders have accused the Kremlin leader of prolonging ceasefire talks without genuinely intending to halt the fighting.
In his latest remarks, Putin said Russia was steadily progressing toward its objectives in Ukraine. He emphasised that Russia supported “peaceful solutions to any conflict, including this one, through peaceful means, but not at our expense”.
“Throughout the entire line of military contact, our troops are holding the strategic initiative,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zelenskiy has dismissed any doubts about his legitimacy, stating that Ukrainian law prohibits elections under martial law and that holding a vote during wartime would be impossible.
Similarly, European leaders are revving their efforts to support Ukraine, pledging after a meeting in Paris on Thursday to bolster Kyiv’s Army and ensuring it remains the foundation of Ukraine’s future security.
The ICIR reported that France and Britain tried to expand support for a foreign “reassurance force” in the event of a truce with Russia, although Moscow rejected any presence of foreign troops in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of people have been killed or injured, with millions displaced and several cities and towns devastated.
Tensions between Moscow and the West over the war have reached their highest levels in decades.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.