In a recent speech delivered to servicemen in Murmansk, President Vladimir Putin laid out a number of provisions for a peace process to resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Central to Putin’s vision was the suggestion that Ukraine undergo new elections under international administration.
He criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose term expired last year, arguing that Zelenskyy lacked the legitimacy to sign a peace agreement, which could be contested by any future government.
Putin proposed that a “temporary administration” could be introduced to Ukraine under the auspices of the UN and other international players.
He also emphasized that other countries should be involved in the peace process beyond the US and Russia, naming, the BRICS and North Korea amongst others.
Dr. Victor Doke, a Research Fellow with the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research (FAAR) at the KAIPTC has offered an assessment of Putin’s latest suggestions, shedding light on why the Russian President’s roadmap for peace may be more about stalling than solving.
Speaking to the Vaultz News, Dr. Doke, asserted that Putin’s idea of “temporary administration” in Ukraine is unrealistic, saying that Putin is “just speaking his mind.”
Putin’s call for Ukraine to hold elections under international supervision—an idea he claimed would give legitimacy to a future peace agreement—has raised eyebrows.
According to Dr. Doke, Ukraine is not expected to hold elections given the current conditions of the war.
Pointing to the fact that EU member states are supporting Ukraine with arms and funds, Dr. Doke asked, “So how is it possible to come back to the drawing board and say you are organizing elections?”
“For Putin to say Ukraine should be put under external leadership, I don’t really think it’s feasible. It’s not even the right direction because things are not stable as at now.”
Dr. Victor Doke
Also, Dr. Doke questioned the practicality of a temporary administration to oversee Ukraine’s governance under the current international climate, stating that the UN system itself is currently challenged.
“The UN, in my opinion, is not seen as a world hegemony again because member states have had some sort of authority and autonomy with regards to decision making, and that throws the UN policies somewhat off track.
“So with regards to what he’s saying, he knows definitely that he may have some sort of leeway when the UN should decide to take over and we know what it would tend to bring. I don’t think it’s feasible. I don’t think [President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy himself would even agree to that.”
Dr. Victor Doke
A Strategic Play to Buy Time
Dr. Doke saw Putin’s suggestions less as a serious blueprint for peace and more as a strategy to delay negotiations.
Calling Putin a smart man, Dr. Doke said that the Russian leader doesn’t want to make real commitments in peace talks. “So he’s trying to beat time and then propose all these ideas that may not come to fruition,” he stated.
He added that the Russian leader’s suggestions serve his own interests.
Moreover, Dr. Doke commented on the notion of involving BRICS countries, including North Korea, in the peace process.
According to him, this would likely serve Putin’s interests more than global peace.
“You look at the historical antecedents of what these nations have done with regards to peace in their respective regions. So many challenges. So I don’t see them coming in to attain the goal for peace. Rather, it’s going to save their interest for enhancement of security, trade, and economics.”
Dr. Victor Doke
Dr. Doke’s analysis paints a picture of a leader who is focused on strengthening his own position, using international rhetoric to stall real progress.
While the world waits for a viable solution to the war, Putin’s vision remains far from the hopeful resolution that many are yearning for.
The proposals seem to hinge on impractical assumptions, from organizing elections in a warzone to relying on an increasingly fractured UN system for governance.
As the conflict continues to wreak havoc, the world will need to consider whether these proposals are the starting point for real peace talks or just another way to keep the status quo in place.
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