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Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday, March 25, 2025, suggested that Ukraine should be placed under temporary United Nations administration to facilitate the election of what he termed a more “competent” government. The proposal is yet another attempt by Moscow to challenge the legitimacy of Ukraine’s current leadership.
The Ukrainian government swiftly dismissed Putin’s remarks, accusing him of making “crazy” proposals to stall progress toward a peace agreement. The initiative for a peace deal is being championed by U.S. President Donald Trump. In response, the White House maintained that Ukraine’s governance would be determined by its constitution and people.
Putin’s statement comes as efforts continue to broker a ceasefire in the war, now in its fourth year. On Tuesday the White House announced that both sides had agreed to a limited truce in the Black Sea. However, Russia subsequently presented a list of conditions, including the lifting of certain Western sanctions, raising concerns that Moscow was attempting to disrupt any meaningful progress toward peace.
Speaking in Murmansk to the crew of a nuclear-powered submarine, Putin proposed that a temporary UN administration be discussed with the United States, European nations, and “partners and friends.”
“This would be in order to hold democratic elections, to bring to power a capable government trusted by the people, and then to begin with it talks on a peace agreement and sign legitimate documents,” he stated.
Moscow has repeatedly claimed that Ukraine’s current authorities are illegitimate, arguing that President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained in power beyond his term, rendering him an unfit negotiating partner. However, Zelensky has stayed in office due to martial law and the ongoing conflict, which have made holding elections nearly impossible. More than five million Ukrainians remain displaced abroad, while hundreds of thousands are engaged in military operations on the frontlines.
Analysts suggest that by calling for an election, Putin aims to cast doubt on Zelensky’s legitimacy as a negotiator and potentially destabilize Ukraine’s leadership. If an election were forced, it could divert Ukraine’s attention from the war while Russia pursued further territorial gains.
Following Putin’s remarks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov clarified that the suggestion was made in response to signs of a “loss of control” by Kyiv. Peskov claimed that Ukraine’s armed forces were not complying with government directives and had continued attacking Russian energy infrastructure, despite a U.S.-mediated moratorium on such strikes.
Ukraine, however, has rejected these allegations, calling them fabrications. Kyiv has in turn accused Moscow of continuing to target Ukrainian infrastructure, undermining any truce efforts.
Putin noted that his proposal for a transitional government was just one option and cited international precedents, such as East Timor and former Yugoslav regions, where the UN had played a role in governance.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, responded by stating that Russia was deliberately stalling peace efforts while continuing its military aggression. A U.S. national security spokesperson reaffirmed that Ukraine’s governance would remain a matter for its constitution and people.
Meanwhile, Putin claimed that Russia had maintained the “strategic initiative” along the entire war front and expressed confidence in defeating Ukrainian forces. However, despite Moscow’s repeated assertions of battlefield progress, territorial advances in eastern Ukraine have remained slow and limited.
Putin’s remarks follow a meeting between Zelensky and European allies in Paris last Thursday. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France and the United Kingdom were considering plans to provide additional military support to Ukraine.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a prolonged and devastating conflict.
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