Russia Rejects NATO Peacekeepers, Warns of Escalation in Ukraine
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Thursday rejected the idea of NATO countries sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire in the war with Russia, saying such a move would threaten to cause an "uncontrollable escalation".
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the idea was totally unacceptable to Russia.
At a press briefing, she referred to recent statements by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius about the possibility their countries might contribute troops to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.
Pistorius said in a Jan. 18 newspaper interview that Germany, as the largest NATO partner in Europe, would "obviously have a role to play", and the matter would be discussed in due course.
Starmer said on Jan. 16 that Britain had been discussing the idea of a peacekeeping force with other allies, and that "we will play our full part".
Russia says it is open to a dialogue with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he intends to bring a swift end to the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who is seeking a meeting with Trump, said on Tuesday that at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would be needed to prevent a new Russian attack after any ceasefire deal.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Mark Trevelyan and Anastasia Teterevleva; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
