Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called for the establishment of a “transitional administration” in Ukraine, and vowed his army would “finish off” Ukrainian troops, in hardline remarks as United States President Donald Trump pushes for a ceasefire, AFP reported.
Putin’s remarks came amid the ongoing conflict that has left tens of thousands dead and continued tensions between Moscow and Kyiv.
Speaking on the sidelines of an Arctic forum in the early hours of Friday, Putin said Russia could discuss with the United States, Europe, and Moscow’s allies, “under the auspices of the UN, the possibility of establishing a transitional administration in Ukraine”.
“What for? To organise a democratic presidential election that would result in the coming to power of a competent government that would have the confidence of the people, and then begin negotiations with these authorities on a peace agreement and sign legitimate documents,” Putin added.
This call to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is part of a long-standing Russian effort to install a government in Kyiv that would be more favourable to Moscow.
Zelensky, who has been the target of constant criticism from Putin, dismissed these proposals as another attempt to delay peace.
In a response, Zelensky reiterated that Putin’s actions continued to hinder any progress toward ending the war.
The Russian president has repeatedly questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy and referred to him as a neo-Nazi and drug addict, allegations for which he has provided no evidence.
Since the war’s onset, Moscow has suggested that Ukraine is not a true democracy, a claim that contrasts with Ukraine’s own legal framework, which suspends elections during times of war.
Zelensky’s government has rejected any suggestion of holding elections while the conflict persists.
Asked about Putin’s remarks later on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was motivated by what Moscow sees as the Ukrainian leadership’s “total lack of control” over the army, which he accused of trying to attack Russian energy sites “daily”.
In the ongoing military operations, Russia reported some territorial advances, claiming control of a village in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and a border settlement in Kursk, Russia.
Putin has called on his forces to continue pressing their advantage, declaring that they would “finish off” Ukrainian troops.
In a sign of the high cost of the war, Kyiv said Friday it had received 909 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed in battle — the largest yet.
On the diplomatic front, Russia has also criticised European Union leaders for obstructing progress on a potential ceasefire agreement.
Moscow insists that the EU’s refusal to lift sanctions on a Russian agricultural bank is hindering peace efforts with the United States.
Separately, Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had received a new proposal from the United States regarding its mineral resources.
The draft agreement would allow the US access to Ukrainian natural resources in exchange for additional military support.
However, Zelensky noted that the agreement needed to be reviewed by legal experts, as it initially lacked sufficient protection for Ukraine.
