Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested establishing a temporary government in Ukraine under UN guidance.

“This is only one of the options. I am not saying that there are no others… This is one of the options, and such practice exists in the work of the U.N.,” Putin told sailors aboard the Arkhangelsk nuclear submarine Thursday night.

“In such cases, international practice follows a well-known path within the framework of the United Nations peacekeeping activities; several instances have already demonstrated what is referred to as external management or temporary administration.”

Putin also questioned the feasibility of reaching agreements with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying “other leaders might come tomorrow,” and argued that external powers should help Ukraine conduct elections to “establish a capable government that has the trust of the people.”

“In general, we support resolving conflicts peacefully, including this one, but not at our expense,” he said.

Following separate US meetings with Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, American diplomats did manage to secure Russia’s tentative willingness to resurrect the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The original agreement, hammered out by UN and Turkish mediators before Russia abandoned it in 2023, had created a lifeline for Ukrainian agricultural exports and helped stabilize global food prices.

However, a limited US-brokered ceasefire restricting attacks on energy infrastructure has faced challenges, with Russia accusing Ukraine of multiple violations.

Russia’s Defense Ministry alleges that Ukrainian drone attacks hit an electric facility in the Bryansk region early Wednesday and a power grid facility in the Kursk region on Tuesday, leading to a power cut affecting thousands of people. In response, Ukraine’s General Staff denied the strikes, claiming it’s just “nothing more than propaganda” designed to justify Moscow’s illegal military operations.