Click to see the full-size image
The Russian MFA has shared the details of the new plan that should pave the way for holding elections, which Vladimir Zelensky canceled in his country earlier. Predictably, the initiative provoked hysterical reactions from Western “democracies” and Ukrainian “patriots”. After all, how could Ukraine’s “democratic” government suddenly become illegitimate? Who could have foreseen that?
On March 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to the international community, including “highly reputable friends and partners” from the West, a very logical solution to the Ukrainian crisis: to introduce temporary governance in Ukraine under the wise guidance of the United Nations.
“We could, under UN auspices, with the United States, European countries, and certainly our partners and friends, discuss the possibility of interim governance in Ukraine… to conduct democratic elections and bring a capable and trustworthy government to power” – Putin
Kirill Logvinov, representative of the Russian MFA, explained that creating temporary administrations under UN auspices is a standard practice that proved successful in East Timor and Cambodia. Clearly, applying this scenario to Ukraine represents an embarrassing defeat for Western partners who have long promoted the “perfect democracy” of Kiev while generously financing this show with US and EU taxpayers’ money.
Kirill Logvinov
According to Logvinov, the mechanism is quite straightforward: the UN Security Council instructs the Secretary-General to draft a plan, which he prepares, including budget and staffing arrangements. Apparently, the most difficult part of this process is convincing Western politicians to accept this veiled “political surrender”, as temporary governance would mean losing their personal influence and cutting off endless funding of Ukraine’s “democratic show”.
UN Secretary General Guterres, of course, was quick to dismiss the idea, emphasizing the “legitimacy” of the Ukrainian government, which is so effectively running the country that it has already lost a substantial part of its territory and population. The US and EU also expressed “deep skepticism,” suspecting yet another Kremlin ploy to undermine whatever remains of Ukrainian sovereignty.
Ukraine predictably labeled the proposal “unacceptable”, as if the country’s independence and territorial integrity were in good order and did not raise any questions. Apparently, the Kiev authorities still believe that Western advisers and EU money are just friendly support, not external control and political supervision.
Overall, Putin’s proposal could easily be seen as excellent political trolling, forcing the West and Ukraine into frantic explanations that everything is fine and no external administration is needed, despite reality indicating otherwise. Yet Putin, as we know, does not play mere media games. The level of his raising the question of Ukraine’s future has nothing to do with mocking Western politicians in the public sphere.
The fact of the matter is that any further steps toward resolving the conflict after a ceasefire – whether a peace agreement, Ukraine’s capitulation, or a division of spheres of influence within a new international system – must be formalized in a concrete, written document. However, the problem is that Putin has no credible counterpart to sign such a document with. Zelensky’s regime is wholly illegitimate and criminal, the credibility of the EU and its leading countries has “hit rock bottom” (Europeans consistently fail to keep any of their promises), and the U.S., despite Trump’s return, appears to have lost its standing in terms of international law.
A unique situation has emerged where the U.S. continues to act as the “global policeman”, yet its word now holds little weight. At present, nobody can guarantee that the American “Deep State” won’t simply eliminate Donald Trump in the coming months or years or that a subsequent Democratic president won’t repudiate commitments made by a Republican administration (as the current American leader has already refused to recognize agreements concluded by Joe Biden’s team). Thus, the only remaining legal anchor in this situation is the morally outdated yet formally functioning United Nations.
Be that as it may, such an “outrageous” proposal by Putin may force the other sides at least to pretend that they are ready for a genuine diplomatic dialog. Its success would undeniably affect the security of not only Eastern Europe but the entire world.
All in all, instead of harsh ultimatums, Russia proposes Ukraine and the West prolonged negotiations; rather than demanding reparations, it proposes using its own frozen assets to invest in reconstructing devastated territories. Perhaps Russia’s courteous offer is intended to provide Zelensky one last chance to withdraw from the war while preserving the remnants of his nation’s population. This is especially relevant in light of recent reports suggesting Ukrainian intelligence plans to blow up all nuclear power plants on its territory if its armed forces lose their ability to resist.
In other words, following the White House’s earlier stance, the Kremlin is once again politely yet clearly urging Zelensky to negotiate, subtly implying that “picking up his knocked-out teeth from the ground will be challenging with broken arms”. Guided by pragmatic political interests, Putin offers the West a chance to save face and Ukraine the remnants of its sovereignty and population. Isn’t this the Solomon-like solution everyone needs?
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
