Guterres rejects Putin’s proposal to manage Ukraine
UN Secretary -General Antonio Guterres sees no need for new elections in Ukraine under the supervision of the United Nations, rejecting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal – reports Gina.
« Ukraine has a legitimate government and that must obviously be respected, » Guterres said in New York on the question of Putin’s proposal.
Putin had earlier proposed to put Ukraine under the temporary UN administration until new elections.
He said elections during the war, which are banned by law in Ukraine, should be organized to form a government negotiating peace.
However, Ukraine and its allies fear that Moscow will use such elections to install a puppet government loyal to the Kremlin, especially in areas occupied by Russia.
Putin reiterated that he believes the mandate of Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski is invalid.
Ukraine has been in a state of war since the beginning of the Russian invasion, which has led to the postponement of the presidential and parliamentary elections.
Many in Ukraine believe that holding elections during war would be impractical and unfair, as it would be difficult to secure voting for soldiers and displaced civilians.
Analysts say Moscow is pushing this election narrative to delegitimize Zelenski and persuade the Trump administration to minimize his role in peace talks.
