By Randam - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin advocated for the establishment of a “transitional administration” in Ukraine and asserted that his military would “finish off” Ukrainian forces, making hardline statements as US President Donald Trump calls for a ceasefire.
The recent warming of relations between Washington and Moscow, following Trump’s return to the presidency and his threats to withdraw support for Kyiv, has increased Putin’s confidence more than three years into a conflict that has resulted in significant casualties on both sides.
Putin’s renewed call to effectively remove Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reflects his enduring ambition to install a regime in Kyiv that is more aligned with Moscow’s interests.
During an Arctic forum on Friday morning, Putin expressed that Russia is open to discussing with the United States, Europe, and its allies, “under the auspices of the UN, the possibility of creating a transitional administration in Ukraine. The purpose? To facilitate a democratic presidential election that would lead to the emergence of a competent government trusted by the populace, and subsequently initiate negotiations with these authorities for a peace agreement and the signing of legitimate documents,” he elaborated.
When it commenced its offensive in 2022, Moscow intended to capture Kyiv within days but was thwarted by Ukraine’s relatively smaller military.
Putin also publicly urged Ukraine’s military leaders to remove Zelensky, whom he has consistently disparaged, without substantiating his claims that Zelensky is a neo-Nazi and a drug addict.
Additionally, Moscow has raised questions about Zelensky’s “legitimacy” as the president of Ukraine, particularly since his initial five-year term is set to expire in May 2024.
According to Ukrainian law, elections are prohibited during significant military conflicts, and Zelensky’s domestic adversaries have all asserted that no elections should take place until the conflict concludes.
Putin, who has held power for 25 years and has been repeatedly elected in uncontested elections, has consistently accused Ukraine of lacking democratic governance throughout the ongoing conflict.
Eliminate them
In response to Putin’s comments later on Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that these remarks stemmed from Moscow’s perception of the Ukrainian leadership’s “complete lack of control” over its military, which he claimed is attempting to strike Russian energy facilities “on a daily basis.”
He noted that, “at this time,” Russia is adhering to its pledge not to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, despite numerous assertions from Kyiv, including on Friday, alleging that Russia has conducted attacks on these sites.
Peskov added, “The Russian side reserves the right, should the Kyiv regime fail to uphold the moratorium, to disregard it as well.”
Ukraine has accused Russia of violating its self-imposed ban on targeting energy installations on several occasions. The Ukrainian air force reported on Friday that Russia launched 163 drones in an overnight aerial assault, igniting fires at infrastructure and agricultural locations in the southern region of the country.
On the battlefield, Russia’s defense ministry announced new territorial gains, claiming that its forces had captured a village in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region and reclaimed a border settlement in its own Kursk region.
These recent advances followed Putin’s call for his troops to leverage their superiority in personnel and weaponry.
“I mentioned not long ago: ‘We will eliminate them.’ There are grounds to believe that we will indeed finish them off,” Putin stated on Friday.
“We are making progress gradually, not as swiftly as some might wish, but nonetheless steadily and confidently, moving towards the fulfillment of all the objectives outlined at the outset of the special operation,” the Kremlin leader remarked, referring to his term for the military offensive.
Path to Peace
President Putin has previously dismissed a joint proposal from the United States and Ukraine for an unconditional and comprehensive ceasefire. Ukraine has accused him of prolonging discussions with Washington without any genuine intention of ceasing military operations.
Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to the Ukrainian presidency, stated on Friday that “Russia is attempting to obstruct the path to peace by opting to continue the conflict,” in reaction to the recent overnight assaults.
In the meantime, the Kremlin has shifted its focus to Europe, portraying its leaders as obstacles to progress between Russia and the United States regarding a potential cessation of hostilities.
On Friday, Peskov criticized the European Union’s refusal to entertain the idea of lifting sanctions on a Russian agricultural bank as a prerequisite for reinstating an agreement on safe passage in the Black Sea.
Peskov remarked, “If European nations are unwilling to pursue this course, it indicates their lack of interest in aligning with the peace efforts being made in Moscow and Washington.”
