Moscow, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin escalated his rhetoric on Friday, calling for a “transitional administration” in Ukraine and vowing that his forces would “finish off” Ukrainian troops. The hardline remarks, delivered on the sidelines of an Arctic forum, come as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for a ceasefire, raising fears in Kyiv that it could lose critical American support more than three years into Russia’s devastating offensive.
Putin’s comments reflect a renewed confidence bolstered by a warming relationship with Washington since Trump’s return to office and his threats to cut aid to Ukraine. The Kremlin leader suggested that a transitional administration, potentially overseen by the United Nations with input from the U.S. and Europe, could pave the way for a “democratic presidential election” in Ukraine. He claimed this would install a “competent government” open to peace talks with Moscow, effectively reiterating his long-standing goal of toppling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and replacing him with a Moscow-friendly regime.
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“We will finish them off,” Putin declared, signaling an intent to intensify military operations despite his claim that Russia has paused strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days. He accused Ukraine of lacking democratic legitimacy, pointing to Zelensky’s extended tenure beyond his initial five-year mandate, which ended in May 2024. Under Ukrainian law, elections are suspended during martial law, a stance supported by Zelensky’s domestic rivals until the conflict ends. Putin, in power for 25 years through elections widely criticized as uncompetitive, has long labeled Ukraine undemocratic.
The remarks follow Russia’s failed 2022 bid to seize Kyiv in days, a campaign that saw Putin publicly urge Ukrainian generals to oust Zelensky, whom he has baselessly branded a neo-Nazi and drug addict. On Friday, Putin rejected a U.S.-Ukrainian ceasefire proposal but insisted Russia was honoring its energy strike pause—claims Kyiv disputes, accusing Moscow of violations and urging Washington to respond.
Meanwhile, hostilities persist. Russia’s defense ministry accused Ukraine of attacking its energy sites with rockets and drones in the past 24 hours, while Ukraine reported Russia launched 163 drones overnight, igniting fires at infrastructure and agricultural sites in Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. One person was wounded in Odesa, and Ukraine’s air force condemned the barrage as an attempt to “derail the path to peace,” per Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff.
As Trump pushes for de-escalation, Zelensky met European leaders in Paris on Thursday to shore up support amid uncertainty over U.S. policy. Discussions with France and Britain on potential European troop deployments left him with “many questions” but “few answers,” he said. With tens of thousands dead on both sides, Putin’s latest statements underscore the steep challenges facing any peace process as the war grinds on.
