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Russian President Vladimir Putin made a significant proposal on Friday, suggesting that Ukraine be placed under temporary governance supervised by the United Nations as part of efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. This statement underscored Putin’s ongoing commitment to realizing his strategic objectives amid the war.
While addressing the crew of a Russian nuclear submarine during a televised event, Putin reiterated his stance that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lacks the legitimacy to negotiate a peace agreement, given that Zelenskyy’s term expired last year. He referenced Ukraine’s constitutional provision, which prohibits national elections during periods of martial law, complicating the political landscape further.
Putin argued that any agreement reached by the current Ukrainian government could be contested by future administrations, suggesting that new elections could be facilitated under an externally administered governance framework. He stated, “Under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United States, even with European countries, and, of course, with our partners and friends, we could discuss the possibility of introducing temporary governance in Ukraine.” This approach, he asserted, would enable Ukraine to conduct fair elections, leading to the establishment of a government that truly represents the will of its people, ultimately paving the way for negotiations on a peace treaty.
Although Putin characterized this external governance as merely “one of the options,” he refrained from providing any additional details about how such a transition might occur.
His comments followed a summit convened by French President Emmanuel Macron, which explored the potential deployment of international troops in Ukraine to support a forthcoming peace agreement. Macron indicated that multiple nations expressed interest in contributing to this initiative alongside France and the United Kingdom.
Despite this, Russia issued a warning against the inclusion of any troops from NATO nations in proposed peacekeeping efforts. At the same time, Macron and other summit participants accused Russia of insincerity regarding its desire for a negotiated settlement, with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer asserting, “They are playing games and they’re playing for time. We can’t let them drag this out while they continue prosecuting their illegal invasion.”
As both sides momentarily agreed to a U.S.-brokered deal aimed at pausing attacks on energy infrastructure, allegations of violations surfaced almost immediately, illustrating the complexities of reaching a comprehensive peace. Reports from the Ukrainian air force detailed a late Thursday assault involving 163 Russian drones, with Ukrainian defenses managing to intercept 89 and jam another 51.
The drone attacks resulted in the damage of numerous residential structures and injuries to at least one individual in Zaporizhzhia. Additional damage was noted in Poltava, alongside reports from other regions including Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Mykolaiv.
The Russian military claimed that Ukrainian forces had also executed strikes against infrastructure in Russian territory, alleging that a gas facility was destroyed by U.S.-made HIMARS rockets. They accused Kyiv of attempting to mislead the international community regarding its commitment to a cessation of strikes on energy sites.
As discussions of a ceasefire unfolded, proposals from former President Trump for a full 30-day ceasefire were met with conditions set by Putin. The Kremlin insisted that a complete halt to hostilities hinged on Ukraine ceasing military mobilization and halting arms supplies—conditions firmly rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies.
Putin maintained that Russian forces have gained momentum, stating that they are advancing in the conflict and controlling strategic initiatives across the front lines. He expressed a readiness for a peaceful resolution but stressed the necessity to address fundamental issues that led to the current crisis, asserting, “We certainly need to ensure Russia’s security for a long historic perspective.”
In addition to territorial demands, Putin has insisted that Ukraine must relinquish ambitions to join NATO and significantly downsize its military while safeguarding the rights of Russian language and culture to maintain a connection to Moscow.
Russian officials have also indicated that any future peace agreement should include provisions for the unfreezing of Russian assets held in Western nations and the easing of U.S. and EU sanctions, a move that would be subject to potential consideration by the Trump administration.
Source
abcnews.go.com