Russia Will Not Approve Western Troop Deployment in Ukraine

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Ryabkov. (Twitter/@mfa_russia)

JAKARTA - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov in an interview with ABC News confirmed that Moscow would never agree to the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine in any form, including within the framework of NATO.

"We are open-minded about any decisions that may be made. We will definitely never agree, accept, or even feel satisfied with the presence of NATO forces in Ukrainian territory," explained Ryabkov, launching TASS (16/12).

When asked further whether Russia would be ready to agree to the deployment of European troops in Ukraine outside the NATO framework, the senior diplomat replied: "No, no, no. A coalition of willing countries is the same thing. It may even be worse, because it may be arranged without the usual NATO procedures that are more or less stable."

"Nothing is stable in the Western world today. So, there is no trust, no confidence, but rather total and dominant distrust of anything coming from the main NATO capital," he said.

Previously, a number of European leaders said the bloc was ready to lead a "multinational force" in Ukraine as part of a US proposal for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

In a statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and eight other European countries said forces from a "coalition of willing nations" with US support could "assist in the recovery of Ukrainian forces, secure Ukrainian airspace, and support maritime security, including through operations inside Ukraine," The Guardian quoted.

The proposal is part of a new security guarantee package, backed by the White House, that could mark a breakthrough in reaching a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv, US and European leaders said.

Based on the proposal, Ukraine will receive Western support to maintain a fixed army of 800,000 troops, the US will lead a "ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism" to provide early warning of future attacks.

European countries will also sign "a legally binding commitment, subject to national procedures, to take measures to restore peace and security in the event of a future armed attack."

In addition, Europe will also support Ukraine's accession to the European Union.