The White House has rejected recent comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin suggesting that Ukraine be placed under a temporary international administration, reiterating that Ukraine’s governance is determined solely by its constitution and its people.
The response came on March 28 from a National Security Council spokesperson following Putin’s proposal during a visit to the northern Russian city of Murmansk.
The Russian leader had suggested that an international governing body—overseen by the United Nations and select countries—could take temporary control of Ukraine to oversee elections and initiate peace negotiations.
Putin’s comments are part of a long-running narrative in which he questions the legitimacy of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, citing the expiration of his formal constitutional term in May 2024. Ukraine, however, has delayed elections due to martial law and the ongoing full-scale war—an allowance made under Ukrainian law during wartime.
There has been no official comment from Kyiv following Putin’s proposal, though Ukrainian officials have consistently rejected any foreign-imposed political arrangements.
This was reported by Reuters.
White House Reaffirms Ukrainian Sovereignty
Responding to questions about the proposal, the U.S. National Security Council emphasized that Ukraine’s political future is not for Russia—or any other external party—to decide.
“Ukraine’s government is determined by its constitution and its people,” the spokesperson said.
The statement comes amid ongoing U.S.-led efforts to facilitate a peace process. Washington has been engaging Moscow and Kyiv in separate talks, including recent shuttle diplomacy rounds in Saudi Arabia aimed at achieving a durable ceasefire.
Putin also took the opportunity to contrast U.S. leadership styles during his remarks, claiming that Donald Trump, now in his second presidential term, has shown a genuine interest in ending the war.
“In my opinion, the newly elected president of the United States sincerely wants an end to the conflict for a number of reasons,” Putin said, while noting that President Joe Biden had generally avoided direct engagement with the Kremlin.
