Russia Rejects Peacekeeping Forces In Ukraine That Will Trigger Conflict

Russian/DOC TASS Army

JAKARTA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow could not consider "any choice" for European peacekeeping forces to be sent to Ukraine.

Russia considers the idea aimed at triggering conflict and complicating deescalation.

French President Emmanuel Macron supports the concept in talks with US President Donald Trump. Macron said troops could be deployed to ensure any peace agreement is respected.

Meanwhile Trump said he accepted the idea. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin also accepted the idea, although the Kremlin later indicated Russia's rejection of the idea had not changed.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is scheduled to hold talks with Trump on Thursday, said he was ready to send British troops to Ukraine as part of a postwar peacekeeping force.

But Lavrov, who previously said the proposal was "unacceptable," expressed Moscow's objection to the deployment of the troops in the most assertive manner.

"We cannot consider any choice when it comes to European peacekeeping forces," he said during a visit to Qatar.

"Trump said that the decision regarding the deployment of peacekeeping forces would only be possible with the consent of both parties. Apparently referring to us and Ukraine. Nobody asked us this," Lavrov said.

"This approach, which is implemented by European countries, especially France, and also the UK, is aimed at what I just mentioned: to further exacerbate the conflict and stop all efforts to calm it down," he added.

Lavrov indicated Moscow still wants complete control of the four regions it claims as its own in any deal, despite objections from Ukraine.

He also said there would be no settlement that would make the two sides face each other along the contact line.

Ukraine has repeatedly denied Russian statements accusing them of oppressing ethnic Russians and Russian speakers in its territory.

"Therefore, we cannot be separated from simple technical actions such as deploying troops. We need to talk about the root of the problem (conflict)," Lavrov said.

"The root cause is (the attempt) to drag Ukraine into NATO and the removal of the total rights of Russian citizens and Russian-speaking people," he stressed.