Vladimir Putin floats idea UN-led governance for Ukraine, questions Zelenskyy's legitimacy

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday suggested placing Ukraine under temporary external governance led by the United Nations as part of efforts to negotiate a peace settlement.
His proposal, seen as a bid to secure Russia's war objectives, comes amid ongoing hostilities and Western skepticism over Moscow's intentions.
Speaking to the crew of a Russian nuclear submarine in televised remarks, Putin reiterated his stance that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lacks legitimacy since his term expired last year. He argued that any agreement signed with the current Ukrainian leadership could be challenged by future governments, calling for new elections under international supervision.
“Under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United States, European countries, and, of course, our partners and friends, we could discuss the possibility of introducing temporary governance in Ukraine,” Putin said. He claimed this would enable “democratic elections” and pave the way for peace negotiations with a “viable government.” However, he stressed that this was just “one of the options” under consideration.

Putin’s remarks came shortly after a summit in Paris, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, where discussions focused on deploying an international peacekeeping force to Ukraine. Macron stated that multiple countries, including France and Britain, were considering involvement, though Russia has strongly opposed the presence of Nato troops in Ukraine.
Western leaders dismissed Putin’s proposal, arguing that Russia was merely stalling for time while continuing its military operations.
“They are playing games,” said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “We can’t let them drag this out while they continue prosecuting their illegal invasion.”
Despite reports of a tentative US-brokered agreement to halt strikes on energy infrastructure, both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of violating the deal, further complicating prospects for a broader ceasefire.

On Thursday night, Russia launched 163 strike and decoy drones at Ukraine, with Ukrainian air defences intercepting 89 and jamming 51, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The attacks caused significant damage in multiple regions, injuring a 19-year-old in Zaporizhzhia and hitting warehouses and power infrastructure in Poltava, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Mykolaiv.
Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of launching US-supplied HIMARS rocket attacks on energy infrastructure in the Kursk and Bryansk regions. The Russian defence ministry claimed a gas metering station in Sudzha was destroyed and an oil refinery in Saratov was targeted by 19 Ukrainian drones.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Kyiv of failing to control its military, saying, “The Ukrainian armed forces aren’t following orders from the country’s leadership and continue attempts to strike Russia’s energy infrastructure.” He warned that Moscow would reassess its adherence to the energy ceasefire if attacks persisted.
Ukraine rejected Russia’s accusations, calling them an attempt to “discredit Ukraine and the diplomatic efforts of its partners.” The Ukrainian military said it was strictly adhering to the energy ceasefire while accusing Russia of violating the agreement by targeting power infrastructure in Kherson and Poltava.
On the battlefield, Russian forces have continued making slow but steady territorial gains along the 1,000-kilometer front line. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy warned that Russia was prolonging negotiations to prepare for larger offensives.
Putin, in a separate statement, claimed that Russian troops have “gained steam” and hold the “strategic initiative along the line of contact.” He maintained that Russia was open to a peace settlement but insisted on addressing the “root causes” of the conflict, which he defined as securing long-term Russian security interests.
Moscow has demanded that Kyiv withdraw from four partially occupied Ukrainian regions, renounce Nato membership, sharply reduce its military, and legally protect Russian language and culture. Russian officials have also linked any peace deal to the unfreezing of Russian assets in the West and the lifting of US and EU sanctions.
While Ukraine has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by US President Donald Trump, Putin has made a broader truce conditional on halting Western arms supplies to Kyiv and suspending Ukraine’s military mobilisation—terms Ukraine and its allies have rejected.
Despite tensions, Ukraine's coordination headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war announced the repatriation of 909 fallen Ukrainian soldiers, the largest such exchange since the invasion began. Russian war bloggers reported that Ukraine handed over 43 Russian soldiers’ remains in return.
With no breakthrough in sight, the conflict remains locked in a cycle of military escalation, diplomatic deadlock, and humanitarian toll, as both sides continue jockeying for leverage in any future peace negotiations.