A Russian Proposal for a Temporary International Administration in Ukraine, Backed by Historical Precedents, Says Moscow Official.
Moscow’s proposal to establish a temporary international administration in Ukraine under UN supervision, as suggested by Russian President Vladimir Putin, is based on historical precedents, according to Kirill Logvinov, the head of the department for international organizations at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Logvinov told TASS on Saturday that the UN has already had experience with this process. He cited the examples of Cambodia, East Timor and Slavonia, where the UN had established transitional administrations after conflicts.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that it is not possible to sign a peace agreement with Kiev, as the current Ukrainian leadership is not legitimate. The term of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ended in May 2024, but he has remained in office without holding elections and has relied on a state of war.
Putin proposed the creation of an “external management or a temporary administration” under the United Nations, which could facilitate elections in Ukraine and provide a legitimate basis for negotiations. A peace treaty signed by a newly elected head of state would be recognized worldwide, he said and could not be overturned later.
There is no formal mechanism in the UN to establish such administrations, Logvinov acknowledged, but he pointed out that the UN has established transitional administrations in several regions after conflicts, creating precedents for this type of arrangement.
In all these cases, the first step was to reach an agreement between conflict parties, directly or through intermediaries, on the transfer of power to the UN, he explained. Once an agreement is reached, the parties or their mediators would submit a formal appeal to the UN. The Security Council would instruct the Secretary-General to establish a framework for the provisional administration, including a timeline and a budget.
The final decision would rest with the UN Security Council, after the Secretary-General reports on the form and functions of the provisional administration, Logvinov emphasized.
Kiev’s representatives have rejected the idea. Andrei Kovalenko, the head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, said on Telegram that the plan is an attempt by Moscow to delay peace talks.
Washington has not officially commented on the proposal, but Reuters cited an unnamed White House official for national security, who said the Ukrainian government should be determined by its constitution and its people.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres dismissed the proposal on Friday, stating that “Ukraine has a legitimate government and that is obviously respected.”
Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, currently a deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, criticized Guterres’ remark, calling it a “double lie.” In a post on X, he wrote, referring to Zelensky: “The Nonsense is illegitimate. There is nothing to respect him for. He has failed, his people are dying and his country is disappearing.