Kyiv Still Working on Proposal to Send Peacekeeping Forces to Ukraine

Ukrainian Military/PHOTO via Instagram @uaf_general_staff

JAKARTA - Kyiv's talks with his allies about a possible contingent of foreign troops in Ukraine who will act as security guards are still in the early stages.

Ukraine is seeking security guarantees from its allies as part of a potential peace treaty to end the war, nearly three years since the Russian invasion.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the number could include at least 200,000 European peacekeepers.

In a subsequent interview with Bloomberg, Zelenskiy clarified that this number would depend on the size of the Ukrainian military.

The Ukrainian armed forces currently number around 800,000 personnel.

"Yes, discussions are ongoing regarding the military contingent of foreign countries, foreign countries potentially deployed to Ukraine," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi.

"This discussion is still in its early stages," he continued.

Tykhyi said it was too early to talk about the exact number, and the contingent of foreign troops would only be part of a wider security guarantee.

We argue that long-lasting and reliable security guarantees for Ukraine should cover Europe and the United States. This is how we ensure that this peace is sustainable and long-lasting," said Tykhyi.

Russia on Thursday rejected the idea that NATO countries would send peacekeepers to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.

Russia says such actions will threaten and cause uncontrollable escalation.