Ukraine names its conditions for the introduction of a peacekeeping mission in the Donbas
Commenting on the statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin reading the peacekeeping mission in the Donbas, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has named conditions the country considers necessary for the introduction of a peacekeeping mission to the Donbas. They include the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Donbas and the absence of Russian personnel in the mission.
"Any international peacekeeping presence must be deployed by consent of and after extensive consultations with the Ukrainian side; it must involve the withdrawal of all occupation troops and mercenaries as well as their weapons from the territory of Ukraine; and it must ensure reliable control over the Ukrainian-Russian border to prevent Russian military, weapons, equipment and mercenaries from infiltrating the Ukrainian territory. In the event the decision is made to launch a peacekeeping operation, any presence of military or other personnel of the aggressor state in the territory of Ukraine disguised as peacekeepers would be out of the question, as it would contradict the basic principles of UN peacekeeping activities. Equally out of the question would be any need to seek approval for launching the peacekeeping operation from the illegal military formations operating in the territory of certain parts of Donetsk and Lugansk Regions backed by support, funding, and inventory and logistics management provided by the Russian Federation," the Foreign Ministry reported on its website.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Putin's proposal to deploy peacekeepers only at the contact line distorts the very idea of introducing a peacekeeping operation and will not serve the main goal - establishing sustainable peace and restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Nevertheless, Ukraine is ready to discuss this issue, and the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN has been instructed to hold consultations with the delegations of the UN Security Council.
The Foreign Ministry also stresses that the strict observance by the Russian side of the ceasefire regime announced at the end of August should create a fertile ground for the start of a dialogue with a view toward deploying a UN peacekeeping mission in the Donbas.
Ukraine has been requested for peacekeepers to come to the Donbas for two years.
In September, Poroshenko intends to raise this issue again at a session of the UN General Assembly. Ukraine is prepared for three options for the introduction of peacekeepers: in the form of an OSCE police mission, a UN mission, or a European police mission. The mission will have to include the entire separatist-held territory of the Donetsk and Luрansk regions, as well as in the so-called "gray zone" and the Ukrainian-Russian border.