Putin calls for the replacement of the Ukrainian government
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for the Ukrainian government to be replaced by a temporary administration that would end the war and hold elections in the latest move to jeopardize the democratic health of global politics.
Putin said on March 27th that Russia was prepared for peace on the condition of Ukrainian disarmament, withdrawal from Russian-occupied territories and a “transitional administration” under the UN to allow for democratic elections. Only after which he would negotiate key peace accords with the newly elected authorities.
“We could, of course, discuss with the United States, even with European countries, and of course with our partners and friends, under the auspices of the UN, the possibility of establishing a transitional administration in Ukraine,” said the Russian President, reported by France24.
The replacement of the Ukrainian government is a new maximalist demand of the Russian government but a White House National Security Council spokesperson has said governance in Ukraine was determined by its own constitution. In essence, that elections cannot be held currently because they are living under martial law, a common war-time notion.
After years of the US firmly backing Ukraine in resisting Russian invasion, Donald Trump has shifted American Foreign Policy to a pro-Moscow position whilst claiming to be neutral with his only goal being to end the war. Trump and his officials say they believe Putin wants to make peace.
However, Trump’s White House hasn’t only appeared pro-Moscow but particularly anti-Zelenskyy – the current leader of Ukraine. In February 2025, Trump labelled Zelenskyy a “dictator” for refusing to hold elections during wartime. After retracting this statement, Zelenskyy visited the White House in an infamous meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of showing disrespect and ingratitude, berating him in front of White House media before having him leave the White House.
Subsequently, the US suspended all military aid and intelligence assistance to Ukraine. Aid was also resumed once Kyiv backed a 30-day ceasefire proposal, which has never successfully materialized.
For the Kremlin, the sight of Trump’s White House must come as a delight but their continued calls for elections in Ukraine require attention.
Russia has been frequently accused of interfering in state elections to pursue their own agenda. In 2024, the US charged and sanctioned Russian state media executives and restricted Kremlin-linked broadcasters as it accused Moscow of a widespread campaign to interfere with the presidential election which saw Trump win.
Additionally, the far-right, pro-Russian candidate in the Romanian election at the end of 2024 managed to race to the front of the field after going viral on social media site, TikTok. The Constitutional Court stopped the election on national security grounds, alleging “massive” and “aggressive” meddling by Moscow to warp the vote.
The likelihood, therefore, of an election occurring in partially-occupied Ukraine, without the influence or meddling of Moscow seems highly unlikely. In the event therefore of the election of a pro-Russian candidate to the forefront of Ukrainian politics serves only to satisfy Putin.
Reuters, France24, Maghrebi, BBC
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