Britain and France have each mentioned that they had been keen to ship a peacekeeping power to watch any ceasefire in Ukraine. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mentioned his nation was additionally open to requests.
“It doesn’t matter underneath what label NATO contingents had been to be deployed on Ukrainian territory: be it the European Union, NATO, or in a nationwide capability,” Grushko mentioned.
“If they seem there, it signifies that they’re deployed within the battle zone with all the implications for these contingents as events to the battle.”
Grushko mentioned {that a} deployment of unarmed post-conflict observers may be mentioned solely as soon as a peace settlement is labored out.
“We are able to speak about unarmed observers, a civilian mission that might monitor the implementation of particular person facets of this settlement, or assure mechanisms,” Grushko mentioned. “Within the meantime, it is simply scorching air.”
French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned in remarks printed on Sunday that the stationing of peacekeeping troops in Ukraine is a query for Kyiv to determine and never Moscow.
Grushko mentioned that European allies of Kyiv ought to perceive that solely the exclusion of Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the elimination of the potential for deploying overseas army contingents on its territory will work for the area.
“Then the safety of Ukraine and your complete area in a broader sense can be ensured since one of many root causes of the battle can be eradicated,” Grushko mentioned.
