The European Commission has rejected recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who proposed the establishment of what he described as “temporary external governance” of Ukraine under United Nations auspices.
The comments were made on 27 March and reportedly aimed at facilitating presidential elections in Ukraine.
Responding to the statement, European Commission spokesperson Anita Hipper clarified the EU’s position during a press briefing in Brussels on 28 March. Hipper said the EU views the Russian president as a wanted war criminal, and considers his remarks part of a broader propaganda campaign.
“Putin is a criminal, and he is wanted for war crimes. We are not going to pay attention to or comment on every piece of propaganda he issues,” Hipper stated in response to questions from journalists.
She reaffirmed that the European Union continues to regard Russia as the aggressor in its ongoing war against Ukraine. “We are looking at the facts. The facts are that there is an aggressor, and there is Ukraine, which is showing nothing but goodwill towards peace. That is where we are in terms of our support for Ukraine and our focus on achieving a long-lasting, just and sustainable peace,” she said.
The proposal by President Putin, which called for the implementation of a temporary international administration in Ukraine allegedly to allow for presidential elections, was not accompanied by any formal proposal to the United Nations. No UN bodies have responded publicly to the suggestion.
Hipper’s remarks underscore the EU’s consistent rejection of narratives originating from the Kremlin that seek to portray Ukraine as lacking democratic legitimacy. The spokesperson also reiterated that the EU will continue to base its position on verifiable developments on the ground rather than speculative or rhetorical suggestions.
Also speaking during the same briefing, another European Commission spokesperson, Paula Pinho, addressed the status of Ukraine’s head of state, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “President Zelenskyy was legitimately and democratically elected, and as long as the Ukrainian people do not call for elections, no one else should be proposing them,” she said.
The remarks come amid ongoing efforts by Moscow to challenge the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, particularly in the context of the state of martial law in place since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Under Ukrainian legislation, national elections cannot be held while the country remains under martial law. This includes both presidential and parliamentary elections.
In this context, Russian officials have repeatedly attempted to question the legitimacy of Ukrainian institutions, despite the lack of any substantial domestic political challenge to President Zelenskyy’s authority. The latest Russian statement is part of a broader pattern of attempting to undermine international support for Ukraine through disinformation and diplomatic pressure.
It also follows comments by US President Donald Trump in February, in which he referred to President Zelensky as a “dictator,” citing the postponement of elections. The White House did not clarify whether this characterisation reflected an official change in policy.
The EU has consistently rejected such characterisations, and insists that Ukraine remains a functioning democracy operating under extraordinary wartime conditions. EU institutions, including the European Commission and the European Parliament, continue to recognise President Zelenskyy as Ukraine’s legitimate head of state.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin in connection with alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine. The warrant, issued in March 2023, accuses him of unlawful deportation of children from occupied territories in Ukraine to Russia, among other charges.
As a signatory to the Rome Statute, the legal basis for the ICC, all EU member states are required to execute the warrant if Putin were to travel to their territory.
The European Union has reaffirmed its commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on multiple occasions. In December 2023, the EU opened accession negotiations with Ukraine, and financial and military assistance continues to flow from Brussels to Kyiv under various support instruments.
EU officials maintain that peace in Ukraine can only be achieved through a full Russian withdrawal from occupied territories and the restoration of internationally recognised borders. No EU member state has expressed support for Putin’s proposal for international governance of Ukraine.
According to analysts in Brussels, the Kremlin’s latest statement is viewed within EU institutions as an attempt to revive influence operations targeting both international audiences and internal Ukrainian politics. However, EU officials remain united in their assessment that Ukraine’s political trajectory is determined by its citizens, not by external actors.
The European Commission’s comments on 28 March confirm that the bloc will not engage with proposals emanating from the Russian government that contradict the principles of international law or the democratic will of the Ukrainian people.
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