Russia rejects possible deployment of NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine

Russia has rejected the possible deployment of NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine, suggesting unarmed observers or a civilian monitoring group

Russia has rejected the possibility of deploying NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine, suggesting instead that unarmed observers or a civilian monitoring group could be sent there to oversee a potential peace deal.

Discussions on peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine are premature and should only take place after a formal peace agreement has been reached, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko in an interview with Russian daily Izvestia on Sunday.

Grushko emphasised that NATO's involvement in peacekeeping operations is fundamentally contradictory, Xinhua news agency reported.

"NATO and peacekeeping are entirely incompatible. The real history of the alliance consists of military operations and unprovoked aggression to assert its global and regional dominance," Grushko stated.

He further highlighted that the deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine, whether under the banner of the EU, NATO, or individual national forces, would effectively place them in the conflict zone, making them direct participants with all the consequences that entail.

As a possible alternative, Grushko suggested that an unarmed observer mission or a civilian monitoring group could be considered to oversee certain aspects of a potential peace deal.

"Such mission could ensure compliance with specific provisions and serve as part of a broader guarantee mechanism," Grushko added.

"It is because that only through their formation it will be possible to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine and generally strengthen security in the region," Grushko explained.

"Ukraine's neutral status and NATO member states' refusal to admit this country as a member of the alliance must be the part of such guarantees."

US President Donald Trump is trying to win President Vladimir Putin's support for a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week and which Putin says needs to meet crucial conditions to be acceptable.

Trump is expected to speak with Putin this week on ways to end the three-year war in Ukraine, US Envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN on Sunday after returning from what he described as a "positive" meeting with Putin in Moscow.

"We discussed the possibility of a 30-day ceasefire, which could be a good first step to open up a broader political and diplomatic window," Witkoff added.