Ukraine Putin touts UN-led government as sides accuse each other of breaching truce

Vladimir Putin has suggested Ukraine could be placed under a temporary UN-led government to organise fresh elections as Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of breaching an energy ceasefire agreed this week.

- Dan Sabbagh

The idea was quickly rejected by a US spokesperson and it was not clear how far it was meant to be taken seriously, as the Kremlin clarified Putin had not raised this idea in recent phone calls with Donald Trump.

But the remarks indicate that any negotiated end to the war in Ukraine is some way off. Russia has continued to add conditions to achieving a settlement, while Kyiv has said it would sign up to a 30-day ceasefire if Moscow agreed.

Putin said the idea would be to allow Ukraine to "hold democratic elections, to bring to power a viable government that enjoys the trust of the people, and then begin negotiations with them on a peace treaty" - though he later said that was just "one of the options".

"Under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United States, even with European countries, and, of course, with our partners and friends, we could discuss the possibility of introduction of temporary governance in Ukraine," Putin added, in comments broadcast yesterday morning.

A White House National Security Council spokesperson was dismissive, saying that governance in Ukraine was determined by its constitution.