Foreign peacekeepers 'unacceptable' in Ukraine, Russia says as Europe plans security guarantees
Russia is not open to foreign peacekeeping troops securing a ceasefire or peace deal in Ukraine, Russian state media reported on Sept. 4, citing Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
"Russia does not intend to discuss foreign intervention in Ukraine, which is fundamentally unacceptable and undermines all security, in any form or format," she said in response to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announcing that a postwar plan to send troops to Ukraine is being discussed.
Moscow has already rejected the deployment of any NATO-linked peacekeepers, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling it a "foreign military intervention."
The Kremlin has repeatedly issued maximalist demands to Ukraine and has refused to engage in leader-level talks as Ukraine and its allies work towards ending Russia's war against Ukraine.
Von der Leyen told the Financial Times on Aug. 31 that Europe was preparing "pretty precise plans" for potential peacekeeper deployments.
On Sept. 2, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz responded to von der Leyen's remarks, saying there are no such concrete plans, "at least not in Germany."
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Paris on Sept. 3 ahead of a high-level meeting of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing." Participating nations are expected to discuss what security guarantees can be provided to Ukraine once a ceasefire or peace deal is secured.
