Putin Proposes U.N. Oversight of Ukraine, Claims Battlefield Wins/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed placing Ukraine under temporary U.N.-backed governance to facilitate new elections and peace talks. He also boasted of Russia’s battlefield progress, while warning that Ukraine’s current government lacks legitimacy. Western leaders rejected the plan, accusing Russia of stalling and continuing aggression.
Putin Suggests U.N. Governance in Ukraine Quick Looks
- Putin proposes U.N.-sponsored external governance for Ukraine
- Suggests holding new elections under international supervision
- Says Ukraine’s current leadership lacks legitimacy under martial law
- Western leaders accuse Russia of delaying peace with false diplomacy
- France, U.K. consider joint troop deployment to support peace
- Ukraine, Russia agree to energy strike pause, but violations continue
- Russia boasts battlefield momentum, demands NATO rejection from Kyiv
- Kremlin says Zelenskyy can’t control military after energy facility strikes
Putin Proposes U.N. Oversight of Ukraine, Claims Battlefield Wins
Deep Look
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday proposed a controversial plan to place Ukraine under international supervision, suggesting the country be governed temporarily under United Nations oversight to allow new elections and facilitate peace negotiations. The proposal, delivered in televised remarks to the crew of a Russian nuclear submarine, reflects the Kremlin’s broader ambition to reshape Ukraine’s political structure and maintain strategic leverage.
Putin insisted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lacks constitutional legitimacy since his term expired in 2024 and martial law prohibits national elections. The Russian leader argued that any peace deal signed by the current Ukrainian leadership could be voided by future governments, and that a more stable solution would involve external governance.
“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,” Putin said. He claimed this would ensure “democratic elections” and create “a viable government” that could engage in real negotiations.
Putin emphasized that this was just “one of the options,” though he provided no further details about how such a plan would be implemented or enforced.
Western Response and Renewed Tensions
Putin’s remarks came shortly after a summit in Paris hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, where leaders including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed potential troop deployments to Ukraine to help enforce an eventual peace deal. Macron said “several” nations were willing to join such a force alongside France and Britain.
Russia immediately rejected the idea of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil, calling it unacceptable. Western leaders accused Moscow of using peace proposals as a smokescreen to continue military operations.
“They are playing games and they’re playing for time,” said Starmer. “We can’t let them drag this out while they continue prosecuting their illegal invasion.”
Fighting on the Ground and Ceasefire Violations
Despite agreeing to a tentative U.S.-mediated pause on strikes targeting energy infrastructure, both sides have accused each other of breaching the deal.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 163 drones overnight Thursday, including strike and decoy drones. It reported that 89 were shot down and 51 jammed. The attacks damaged homes in Zaporizhzhia, injured at least one person, and hit infrastructure across several regions, including Poltava, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Odesa.
Ukraine’s national energy company Naftogaz said its facilities were targeted, though it did not specify details.
In response, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Ukrainian forces struck a gas metering station in the Kursk region and attacked an energy facility in Bryansk, causing a power outage. It also said that Ukrainian drones attempted to hit an oil refinery in Saratov, though they were intercepted.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused Ukrainian forces of operating independently of civilian leadership. “The Ukrainian armed forces aren’t following orders from the country’s leadership and are continuing attempts to strike Russia’s energy infrastructure,” Peskov told reporters.
He warned that Russia may abandon the agreement on halting energy strikes if the violations persist.
Russia’s Demands and Ongoing War Strategy
While Ukraine has agreed to a proposed 30-day ceasefire backed by the Trump administration, Putin has conditioned a broader truce on several key demands: a halt to Western arms shipments to Ukraine, a suspension of military mobilization, and the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from territories claimed by Russia.
These demands have been firmly rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.
Putin declared Friday that Russian forces have “gained steam” and now “hold the strategic initiative” along the front lines, which stretch over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). Ukrainian President Zelenskyy acknowledged Thursday that Russia appears to be stalling peace talks while preparing for larger offensives.
Putin reiterated that Russia is open to a settlement, but any peace must address what he calls the “root causes” of the war—framing these as NATO expansion and threats to Russia’s security.
He doubled down on earlier demands, including Ukraine’s formal renunciation of NATO membership, major cuts to its military, and constitutional protections for Russian language and culture. Moscow also wants the unfreezing of its assets abroad and the lifting of U.S. and EU sanctions.
The Trump administration has said it would consider limited sanctions relief as part of a negotiated settlement, but many European leaders remain skeptical of easing pressure on Russia without substantial concessions.
As talks remain stalled and the war grinds on, Putin’s latest proposal to install U.N.-sponsored external governance in Ukraine adds a dramatic twist—one likely to be dismissed by Ukraine and its allies, who view it as a thinly veiled attempt to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty.
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