MOSCOW 

Russia is ready to discuss UN-supervised external control of Ukraine as a possible solution to the conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said on Sunday.

Speaking in an interview with the Russian state news agency TASS, Galuzin said the UN has relevant experience in other countries.

"Generally, Russia is ready to discuss with the US, European and other countries the possibility of introducing temporary external management in Kyiv," he said.

Galuzin argued that UN-supervised control would enable "democratic elections" in Ukraine and the signing of a "full-fledged peace treaty."

He noted similar UN transitional administrations were previously established in Eastern Slavonia, East Timor, and Cambodia, and other places.

According to him, the transfer of territories under temporary UN administration usually involves several stages, the first step being an agreement between the parties to the conflict, while "the sequence of subsequent actions, their specific content, may be the subject of negotiations between the parties."

Ukraine has previously categorically refused the idea of introducing the UN-supervised external control, as well as slamming Russia's accusations of illegitimacy of power after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's term expired in May 2024.

The diplomat called on Kyiv to hold elections, arguing Russia is ready to ensure the absence of strikes on the voting day in Ukraine. Zelenskyy has demanded a two-month ceasefire before holding a vote.

Galuzin described alleged Ukrainian attacks on Russian regions during elections held in recent years as "attempts to disrupt the vote." At the same time, he said Russia would not "stoop" to copying such actions.

He accused Zelenskyy of election fraud, explaining his actions as "a desire to remain in power."

The official recalled that a working group has been established in Ukraine to prepare for elections, noting "no one is taking any real, practical steps to organize them."

Commenting on ceasefire initiatives, he said Kyiv did not respond to the Russian proposal to create a bilateral monitoring and control center for the truce, which was made during negotiations in Istanbul in the summer of last year.

- Rejects European role in Ukraine settlement

He rejected the possibility of European participation in the Ukrainian settlement, emphasizing "Europe, due to its ideological bias and refusal of direct dialogue with Russia, has personally deprived itself of a place at the negotiating table."

"Brussels, by refusing direct dialogue with our country, has essentially deprived itself of a place at the negotiating table," Galuzin stressed.

Answering about the EU's intentions to appoint its own negotiator for dialogue with Moscow on Ukraine, Galuzin pointed out that this initiative "is at the stage of discussion within the EU."

He highlighted that this initiative belongs to individual politicians of EU members, not Eurocrats, and "official Brussels" is "rather cool" towards the idea.

Galuzin said "Eurocrats are absolutely incapable of negotiation," claiming they operate exclusively in the language of ultimatums, demand unilateral concessions, and are aimed at inflicting maximum damage on Russia.

EU countries are said to be considering appointing a special representative for Ukraine talks, with Finnish President Alexander Stubb as a possible candidate, amid concerns Brussels is being sidelined from negotiations.

The next round of negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement will take place in a trilateral Russian-American-Ukrainian format on Feb. 17-18 in Geneva.

Commenting on the upcoming talks, Galuzin said Russia, the US, and Ukraine have agreed to work "without leaks."