Putin demands Zelensky resigns to speed up peace deal... but Ukraine accuses him of 'crazy' delay tactics

Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky resigns in order to accelerate a peace deal.

On a visit to Murmansk to launch a nuclear-powered submarine, the 72-year-old yesterday claimed Russia has the 'strategic initiative' across the front lines of the war.

Putin also issued a fresh threat as he claimed his country's troops had moved from the stage of 'grinding [Ukraine] down' and vowed to now 'finish them off'.

While speaking at the visit, Putin insisted the United Nations should take control in Kyiv in order to install 'competent' leadership who would be willing to sign a peace deal, according to The Sun.

The Russian leader said President Zelensky lacks the legitimacy to sign any agreement at this stage due to the Ukrainian leader remaining in power for longer than he was elected for.

However, Ukrainian law does not allow elections while it is under martial law, and any potential of voting would be unrealistic while five million Ukrainians are overseas and hundreds of thousands more are fighting in the war.

Ukrainian officials said Putin's 'crazy' comments were yet another example of the Russian leader delaying a peace deal which is reportedly being negotiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.

President Zelenky's Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, branded Putin's claims Zelensky should be ousted as proof Russia was not taking any proposals of peace seriously.

While at the launch of the new submarine, Putin also took a moment to make a disparaging comment on the size of the British armed forces.

He said: 'Britain is jumping on us, behaving aggressively . . . but their economy is, I think, in the ninth or tenth place in the world.

'Hence the armed forces — what is it, 170,000 or 180,000? That's all the armed forces of the UK!'

Putin's remarks come just days after Russia launched a savage night of drone strikes on Ukraine, targeting civilians in a merciless attack which Kyiv said further demonstrated Moscow has no interest in peace.

The relentless attacks by Iranian-designed Shahed drones appeared to target civilians and reportedly injured at least 11 people including a 14-year-old child.

Zelensky said that a 12-year-old girl had also been injured in the bombardment.

One video showed how players in a football game in Kharkiv ran in terror from a drone which exploded nearby, while a dozen drones caused fires in four separate locations.

'Multi-story residential buildings, cars, outbuildings, and an infrastructure facility were damaged,' said mayor Ihor Terekhov.

Dnipro was also hit by Shahed drone strikes, with three wounded, including two women aged 78 and 75.

Zelensky said he had agreed to an unconditional ceasefire in part to prove that Putin's claims to Donald Trump and leaders in the Middle East that he is ready for peace are bogus.

They have 'always told me in private, in other conversations, that Putin is ready for a ceasefire, for an unconditional one [and] that Ukraine does not want the war to end,' he said.

'And with such steps I have clearly shown that we are ready for a ceasefire, but you will now see that Putin is not ready.'