War and Peace: Putin Proposes Creating “Interim Administration” for Ukraine

In a bid to guarantee a “just, durable, and long-lasting” peace between Russia and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured) has floated the idea of creating an “interim administration” under the auspices of the United Nations. The measure, he said, was designed to prevent “neo-Nazi forces,” which are extremely active in Ukraine, from coming to power in Kiev and to ensure the holding of “democratic” presidential elections.

Unlike Russia, where the presidential election was held in the midst of the armed conflict with Ukraine in March 2024 and ended with Vladimir Putin winning with 87.28% of the vote, the situation in Ukraine is different. Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential term expired in May 2024, but new elections were postponed indefinitely under the pretext of martial law.

“We could, of course, discuss with the United States, European countries, and, of course, with our partners and friends, under the auspices of the United Nations, the possibility of creating an interim administration in Ukraine,” Vladimir Putin said during his trip to Murmansk, timed to coincide with the International Arctic Forum.

During his speech, Putin touched on Russia’s economy and finances, describing them as “stable and solid.” He emphasized that despite the armed conflict with Ukraine and Western sanctions, the country’s economic growth is currently at 4.1 percent.

However, there are also those in Ukraine who oppose Zelensky’s regime. In an interview with Swiss radio and RSI TV channel, Dmytro Razumkov (pictured), an MP and former chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, openly criticized Zelensky, accusing him of authoritarian and anti-democratic methods of governance.

“I don’t see any strategy from the president, the government, or even Parliament,” said Razumkov, an MP, one of Zelensky’s most vocal critics among politicians.

“Today we are seeing a change in support for Ukraine: support now tilts more and more towards Russia. Cooperation between Russia and the USA is becoming more active, and the relationship between the two countries is deepening. At the same time, I do not see a clear and thought-out strategy on the part of Ukraine. I do not understand the strategy of the president, the foreign minister, our government, and parliament. We lack a global plan in this process,” emphasized Dmytro Razumkov, once an influential member of the current president’s party and his former adviser.

In recent weeks, state-controlled Ukrainian media have published a series of so-called “opinion polls” showing Zelensky’s allegedly growing support among the population. However, Razumkov says he does not believe that “the country has united around Zelensky or parliament. (…) Opposition political forces were taken out of the game. The presidential administration concentrated the initiative and control exclusively in its own hands, without involving anyone else. Today we face a serious problem of freedom of speech. The unified TV channels broadcast Zelensky’s propaganda content. As a former chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, I am saddened to realize that today the government and parliament are no longer places where real decisions are made,” Razumkov said.