Photo: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (Getty Images) Author: Natalia Yurchenko
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has proposed introducing “temporary UN-led governance” in Ukraine. The dictator believes that presidential elections could be held during this time, and only then could a peace agreement be concluded.
What Putin meant, how Ukraine and the West reacted to it – in the RBC-Ukraine article below.
What Putin said
The Russian dictator made the statement during a meeting with submariners of the nuclear submarine cruiser Arkhangelsk on the evening of March 27.
Putin proposed introducing external “temporary management under the auspices of the UN” in Ukraine to hold elections.
“In principle, of course, it would be possible, under the auspices of the UN, the US, with European countries, and of course with our partners and friends, to discuss the possibility of conducting temporary governance in Ukraine . In order to hold democratic elections, in order to bring to power a capable government that enjoys the trust of the people, and then begin negotiations with them on a peace treaty,” the dictator said.
With a Ukrainian government formed under such conditions, Putin believes it will be possible to sign “legitimate documents that will be recognized throughout the world and will be reliable.”
“I am not saying that there are no other options, but this is one of the options, and such practice exists in the work of the UN,” he said.
He cited East Timor, Papua New Guinea and parts of the former Yugoslavia as examples of countries where “within the framework of UN peacekeeping activities there has already been several times what is called external management, temporary administration.”
How did Ukraine react?
Ukrainian Presidential Communications Adviser Dmytro Lytvyn responded sharply to the Russian dictator's statement, advising Putin to “just swallow a few pills to activate his brain” if “he is trying to figure out who to cooperate with to end the war.”
At the same time, Litvin noted that over the past 24 hours, Russia has launched at least two attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector, despite the so-called energy truce.
“In the last 24 hours alone, there have already been at least two confirmed Russian strikes that have damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and that's without even the full 24-hour reports,” the presidential adviser wrote on X (Twitter).
The head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrei Kovalenko, stated that Putin is trying to disrupt the movement towards peace and delay the negotiation process.
“According to Putin's statements, he is doing everything to delay and disrupt the movement towards peace, because he is not interested in ending the war. Therefore, he constantly puts forward some crazy ideas and demands. It is possible to narrow his room for maneuver through strict economic restrictions for Russia and strengthening of Ukraine. I hope that this will become clear if Russia does not cease fire by Easter,” Kovalenko noted.
He added that Putin is deliberately humiliating US President Donald Trump by attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure and putting forward new crazy conditions.
The West's Reaction
An unnamed White House National Security Council official quoted by Reuters, responding to a question from reporters about Putin's statement, said Ukraine's governance is determined by its constitution and its people.
Germany “categorically rejected” Putin's proposal. Government spokesman Steffan Hebestreit said Putin's daily attacks prove that he does not care about democracy in Ukraine.
“One thing is clear: Volodymyr Zelensky is the legitimate president of Ukraine, and it is he who is negotiating for the Ukrainian people and no one else,” the German government spokesman emphasized.
EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Spokesperson Anitta Hipper declined to comment on the Russian dictator's statements, adding that he is a criminal and is wanted.
“We look closely at the facts. The fact is that we have an aggressor, and we have Ukraine, which demonstrates exceptional good will for peace. This is exactly the situation we are in, in terms of support for Ukraine, in efforts to ensure a just and lasting peace,” Hipper said.
It is worth adding that Putin has previously stated on numerous occasions that he does not consider Volodymyr Zelensky to be the legitimate president of Ukraine. He demands elections.
Presidential elections in Ukraine were supposed to take place in 2024. Ukrainian legislation prohibits holding elections during martial law. Ukrainian leaders have said that elections will be held after the war ends.
World leaders recognize Zelensky's legitimacy. However, after the first talks between the US and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump said that the Ukrainian president's trust rating was allegedly only 4%, essentially repeating the Russians' points. Later, he also called the Ukrainian president a “dictator”, although he later disavowed his words.
Zelensky called on the American president not to repeat Russian disinformation.
According to the latest KIIS poll, the level of trust in Volodymyr Zelensky among Ukrainians is 69%.
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