Moscow Proposes UN-Supervised Control of Ukraine as Potential Path to Peace
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin has suggested that placing Ukraine under the supervision of the United Nations could serve as a viable mechanism to end the ongoing conflict. In a recent statement, the senior diplomat argued that the international body possesses the necessary framework and historical experience to manage such a transition.
Galuzin specifically cited several precedents where the United Nations assumed administrative responsibilities to stabilize volatile regions. He pointed to the UN’s role in Eastern Slavonia, East Timor, and Cambodia as evidence of the organization’s ability to oversee post-conflict governance. “The UN has relevant experience in other countries,” Galuzin noted, implying that a similar model could be adapted for the current situation in Eastern Europe.
The historical examples referenced by Moscow involved significant international intervention. The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) in the early 1990s was charged with disarming factions and organizing elections. Similarly, the mission in East Timor (UNTAET) administered the territory during its transition to independence from Indonesia. Perhaps most significant is the reference to Eastern Slavonia, a Serb-majority region in Croatia that was temporarily administered by the UN (UNTAES) from 1996 to 1998 before being peacefully reintegrated into Croatia.
However, the proposal is likely to meet immediate and intense resistance from Kyiv and its Western partners. Critics argue that placing a sovereign nation like Ukraine under a UN mandate would fundamentally undermine its statehood and independence. The Ukrainian government, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has maintained that the only path to peace is the complete withdrawal of Russian forces to the 1991 borders, rather than a concession of administrative control to an outside body.
Furthermore, legal and diplomatic experts point to a contradiction in the Kremlin’s stance. While suggesting UN supervision, Russia has constitutionally annexed four Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—claiming them as sovereign Russian territory. It remains unclear how a UN administration, which operates on the principles of the UN Charter regarding territorial integrity, could function within areas Moscow considers part of Russia. Additionally, the paralysis of the UN Security Council, where Russia holds veto power, suggests that establishing a mutually agreed-upon mandate for such a mission would be diplomatically treacherous.
