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The White House has dimissed Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to establish a temporary government in Ukraine under United Nations supervision, Reuters reported on March 28.
Putin suggested a transitional administration, overseen by the U.N. and several countries, could be formed in Ukraine to organize elections.
"This is only one of the options. I am not saying that there are no others... This is one of the options, and such practice exists in the work of the U.N.," he said.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson dismissed the proposal, emphasizing that Ukraine's governance is determined by its constitution and its people.
Ukrainian presidential advisor, Dmytro Lytvyn, suggested that if Putin struggles to understand who to engage with for peace talks, he might need "some pills to kickstart his brain activity."
Russian officials have repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine's sovereignty. Meanwhile, Russia itself is classified as a consolidated authoritarian regime with manipulated elections, according to Freedom House.
Putin has systematically eliminated political opposition by imprisoning, exiling, or silencing his rivals. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, one of Putin's most prominent critics, was killed in an Arctic prison in February 2024 under suspicious circumstances.
Russia's government has also banned opposition candidates from elections, cracked down on dissent, and labeled critics as "foreign agents" to suppress political competition.
Putin claimed that Ukraine's current leadership is illegitimate because elections were not held after Zelensky's term expired.
"If he himself is illegitimate, then all the others are too," he said, arguing that new elections could be held under foreign supervision to install a government that "enjoys the people's trust."
Ukraine's constitution prohibits elections during martial law, which has been in place since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Moscow has shown little willingness to negotiate a peace deal, making maximalist demands in ceasefire talks with Ukraine and the U.S.
Despite claiming to uphold an informal ceasefire on energy infrastructure since March 18, Russia struck energy targets in Kherson on March 27. Zelensky said Ukraine had honored a March 25 agreement on halting strikes on such facilities.
The U.S. has been mediating negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war. Ukraine has already agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire, announcing on March 11 that it is ready to implement the measure if Russia reciprocates.
Moscow has so far refused.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
