MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. Putting Ukraine under external governance is the only way to establish lasting peace, Nikolay Azarov, who served as Ukraine’s prime minister in 2010-2014, said.
"The [Russian] president’s proposal (to introduce external governance in Ukraine - TASS) is the only real way out of the situation because both the Americans and Russia realize that the regime is illegitimate. The regime is unable to establish lasting peace. Both the Americans and Russia have this understanding," Azarov told the Rossiya-24 TV channel.
According to him, it’s not just about setting up a temporary administration that would hold free elections in Ukraine and address the causes that led to the conflict in 2022. "This will require time, and this is subject for negotiations," the former premier added. However, in Azarov’s words, negotiations will involve the two parties that are really capable of influencing the situation, that is, Russia and the United States. "Neither Europe nor the United will ever be able to do anything. Moreover, implementing a procedure that requires decisions by the UN Security Council is out of the question because neither the United Kingdom nor France will support it, so there’s nothing to talk about," he stressed.
Azarov emphasized that an agreement should be reached between Russia and the US, and the option proposed by the Russian president was the only way to a long-term solution for Ukraine.
Putin said earlier that international practice suggests the possibility of introducing external governance in Ukraine, paving the way for legitimate negotiations on a Ukrainian settlement. He pointed out that similar UN-backed governing systems had been previously implemented in East Timor, New Guinea, and parts of the former Yugoslavia. Putin noted that the introduction of an interim administration in Ukraine could be discussed under the auspices of the United Nations with the United States, European countries, as well as with Russia’s partners and friends.