U.S. says Ukraine determines own governance after Putin suggests temporary administration

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 11:48 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Ukraine beryllium placed nether a signifier of impermanent medication to let for caller elections and the signature of cardinal accords to scope a colony successful the war, Russian quality agencies reported aboriginal connected Friday.

Putin's comments, during a sojourn to the bluish larboard of Murmansk, travel amid U.S. attempts to forge a colony to the struggle by re-establishing links with Russia and engaging with some Moscow and Kyiv, successful abstracted talks.

The Kremlin person said helium believed U.S. President Donald Trump genuinely wanted peace.

Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022 has near hundreds of thousands of dormant and injured, displaced millions of people, reduced towns to rubble and triggered the sharpest confrontation for decades betwixt Moscow and the West.

Putin's proposition of a impermanent medication appeared linked to his long-held ailment that Ukraine's authorities are, successful his view, not a morganatic negotiating spouse arsenic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stayed successful powerfulness beyond the May 2024 extremity of his mandate.

"In principle, of course, a impermanent medication could beryllium introduced successful Ukraine nether the auspices of the UN, the United States, European countries and our partners," Putin was quoted arsenic saying successful talks with seamen astatine the port.

"This would beryllium successful bid to clasp antiauthoritarian elections and bring to powerfulness a susceptible authorities enjoying the spot of the radical and past to commencement talks with them astir a bid treaty."

Putin contrasts Trump with Biden

He said Trump's efforts to proceed with nonstop talks with Russia — successful opposition with the preceding U.S. President Joe Biden, who shunned contacts — showed the caller president wanted peace.

"In my opinion, the recently elected president of the United States sincerely wants an extremity to the struggle for a fig of reasons," the agencies quoted Putin arsenic saying.

A White House National Security Council spokesperson, asked astir Putin's remarks connected impermanent administration, said governance successful Ukraine was determined by its constitution and the radical of the country.

There was nary contiguous remark from Ukraine.

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European leaders person pressed connected with their ain efforts, pledging aft a meeting in Paris connected Thursday to fortify Kyiv's service to guarantee it was the cornerstone of aboriginal information successful Ukraine.

France and Britain tried to grow enactment for a overseas "reassurance force" successful the lawsuit of a truce with Russia, though Moscow rejects immoderate beingness of overseas troops successful Ukraine.

Ukraine barred from holding elections during martial law

Zelenskyy has rejected immoderate conception questioning his legitimacy, saying Ukraine is barred by instrumentality from holding elections nether martial instrumentality and holding a canvass successful wartime conditions would successful immoderate lawsuit beryllium impossible.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly accused Putin successful caller days of wanting to property connected with the conflict.

In his comments, Putin said Russia was steadily moving guardant to achieving the goals it had acceptable retired successful its Ukraine operation.

Russia, Putin said, was successful favour of "peaceful solutions to immoderate conflict, including this one, done peaceful means, but not astatine our expense."

"Throughout the full enactment of subject contact, our troops are holding the strategical initiative," helium said.

"We are gradually — possibly not arsenic rapidly arsenic immoderate mightiness similar — but inactive persistently and with assurance moving toward achieving the goals acceptable retired astatine the opening of this operation," the agencies quoted him arsenic saying.

More than 3 years aft launching a full-scale penetration of Ukraine, Russian forces present clasp astir 20 per cent of the country, with Moscow declaring 4 regions annexed. Its forces person besides recovered overmuch of the territory it initially mislaid successful a Ukrainian incursion past August into its occidental Kursk region.

Putin praised the efforts successful seeking a solution from the BRICS grouping it promotes arsenic an alternate to accepted alliances — singling retired China and India for praise.

He said Russia was acceptable to cooperate with galore countries, including North Korea, to assistance extremity the war.

Western and Ukrainian sources accidental much than 11,000 North Korean troops person been sent to bolster Russian forces successful the Kursk region, though Moscow has not confirmed this.

Putin said Russia was besides acceptable to enactment with Europe, but adding that Europe "conducts itself successful inconsistent fashion."

European countries, helium said, were trying "lead america astir by the nose, but it's okay, we've go utilized to it. I anticipation that we won't marque immoderate mistakes based connected excessive spot successful our alleged partners."