New York, Mar. 28, (dpa/GNA) – UN Secretary General António Guterres sees no need for new elections in Ukraine under United Nations supervision, rejecting a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Ukraine has a legitimate government, and so obviously that must be respected,” Guterres said on Friday in New York when asked about Putin’s suggestion.

Putin had earlier proposed placing Ukraine under temporary UN administration while new elections are held.

He argued that wartime elections, which are prohibited by law in Ukraine, should be organized to establish a government capable of negotiating peace.

However, Ukraine and its allies fear Moscow could exploit such elections to install a Kremlin-loyal puppet government, particularly in Russian-occupied areas.

Putin reiterated that he believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s mandate is illegitimate.

Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia’s full-scale invasion, postponing presidential and parliamentary elections.

Many in Ukraine believe that holding elections amid the ongoing conflict would be impractical and unfair, as it would be difficult to ensure the participation of soldiers and displaced civilians.

Analysts say that Moscow is pushing the narrative of elections as a way to delegitimize Zelensky and sway the Trump administration into minimizing his role in peace negotiations.

GNA

PDC