Putin proposes placing Ukraine’s government under U.N.-led temporary administration and holding new elections

In public remarks on Thursday, Vladimir Putin proposed putting Ukraine under a new temporary government, administered under the auspices of the U.N. and a number of countries, to hold new elections there. “The goal would be to hold democratic elections, to bring to office a capable government that enjoys the trust of the people — and then begin negotiations with them on a peace agreement,” Putin told a group of sailors aboard Russia’s “Arkhangelsk” nuclear-powered cruiser, arguing that a newly elected Ukrainian leadership could sign “legitimate documents that would be recognized around the world and would be reliable.”

Russia’s president noted that this proposal for the Ukrainian government “is just one option.” “I’m not saying there aren’t others… But this is one possibility, and the U.N. has precedents for such a practice,” he added.

The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that it does not consider Volodymyr Zelensky a legitimate president, since Ukraine did not hold new elections in 2024. Ukrainian law prohibits any elections while martial law is in effect.