Russian leader Vladimir Putin suggested the possibility of putting Ukraine into temporary UN-supervised administration for new elections. His statement followed a continuing stream of allegations of energy ceasefire violation by Moscow against Kyiv earlier this week.
The proposal was quickly shut down by a US official, and whether it was meant seriously is unclear, particularly as the Kremlin stated that Putin had not mentioned the plan during recent phone conversations with former US President Donald Trump.
Putin's remarks underscore the intricacies of any possible end to the war in Ukraine. As Russia continues to lay down conditions for a resolution, Ukraine has signaled that it is ready to sign on to a 30-day ceasefire if Moscow agrees.
It would be aimed, Putin said, to allow Ukraine to "conduct democratic elections, bring to power a healthy government that is trusted by the people, and then start negotiations with them on a peace treaty." But he afterwards treated the remark as dismissive, calling it only "one of the possibilities."
"In cooperation with the United Nations, the United States, the European countries, and naturally our partners and allies, we might consider the option of a temporary governing system in Ukraine," Putin said in remarks broadcast on Friday morning.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson rejected the offer, insisting that Ukraine is governed by its constitution. At the same time, European leaders reiterated their solidarity with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a Paris summit, with the UK and France spearheading opposition to Russia's offer.
Although few analysts see Russia's call for elections in Ukraine as viable, the Kremlin keeps bringing up Kyiv's choice not to conduct a presidential vote during the war as an element in any future settlement. While US-backed peace talks stall meanwhile.
On Tuesday, the White House said that both Russia and Ukraine had agreed to ceasefires regarding maritime and energy infrastructure. But new violations were reported on Friday as heavy fighting continued.
In Ukraine, the governor of Poltava region reported that Russian drone strikes hit Naftogaz's storage areas for spare parts. Russia's defense ministry said that a gas metering station in Sudzha, a border village in Kursk province, was hit by US Himars missiles.
Ukraine's general staff replied that the Poltava attack proved how "the Russian aggressor cynically goes on lying about its peace intentions." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov retorted by accusing that "the Ukrainian armed forces aren't taking orders from the leadership of the country.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that it was still too early to anticipate top-level discussions between Moscow and Washington in order to bust the impasse. Addressing reporters upon return from a Caribbean tour, he said, "I think you have to make more progress on a technical level" before holding meaningful diplomatic conversations.
Moreover, Ukrainian authorities reported on Friday that the US had reworked its suggested accord on joint use of Ukraine's mineral and rare earth resources. Sources state that the new conditions are considerably more beneficial to the US.
The revised offer includes establishing a mutual investment fund, where the US has the priority right of buying mined material until it's repaid the aid money disbursed to Ukraine—along with an added 4% interest. Only once this repayment has been made could Ukraine receive access to earnings on the fund.
Earlier, Zelenskyy had gone to the US to sign a deal with Trump, which initially suggested a 50/50 share of the revenue. The talks were however derailed by a political disagreement between the two leaders.
Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko, would not comment on the exact terms of the draft agreement. In speaking to the Ukrainian parliament, she contended that public debate might weaken Ukraine's hand. "This is a working document that basically takes into account the position of American legal advisers. We are drafting our own position, and the process is already formalized," she said.
The US terms were condemned by the advocacy organization Global Witness as excessive. The co-director of campaigns, Dominic Kavakeb, referred to the terms reported as "the pure, unabashed exploitation of Ukraine as the price to avoid total devastation at the hands of Putin. This is neo-colonialism laid bare."
Elections have been put on hold by Ukraine after Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022 and declared martial law. Zelenskyy's five-year term was to expire in May 2024, but the elections are not expected to happen until there is an improvement in security. Still, popular opinion does not seem to be calling for voting immediately.
While Russia, where elections are tightly regulated and universally regarded as not free nor fair, has been trying to highlight Ukraine's democratic timeout in order to bolster its own message, the problem has also been amplified by Trump, who recently called Zelenskyy a "dictator" with a 4% approval rating. A March survey of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology put Zelenskyy's approval at 68%, however.
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