Camilla Jessen
Russia proposes UN-led administration for Ukraine.
Russia has revived a proposal to place Ukraine under international administration.
The suggestion comes days before the expected resumption of US-mediated negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
Proposal revived
According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Moscow is prepared to discuss the idea with the United States, European countries and other international partners.
“Such a step would make it possible to hold democratic elections in Ukraine, bring to power a capable government with which a full peace treaty could be signed, along with legitimate documents on future interstate cooperation,” Galuzin said.
The proposal echoes remarks made by President Vladimir Putin in March last year, when he first floated the idea of placing Ukraine under a form of United Nations-led external governance.
Legitimacy dispute
Moscow has repeatedly portrayed Ukraine as a dysfunctional state and questioned the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelensky, arguing that his term has expired.
Kyiv rejects that claim, noting that martial law, imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion, prevents elections from being held during wartime.
Zelensky has previously said that a ceasefire lasting at least two months would be required before elections could be organised. Russian officials argue that any pause in fighting would allow Ukrainian forces to regroup and rearm.
International precedents
International transitional administrations have previously operated in countries emerging from conflict, including East Timor, Cambodia, Iraq and Kosovo.
However, unlike those cases, Ukraine’s state institutions continue to function despite the ongoing war.
Sources: TASS, DPA, Agerpres
