(VOVWORLD) - Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev on Sunday warned that the deployment of NATO’s peacekeeping forces to Ukraine would lead to a full-scale conflict between Russia and the alliance.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko also said in an interview with Russian daily Izvestia that discussions on peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine remain premature and should only take place after a formal peace agreement has been reached.
He reaffirmed Russia's stance that the deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine –whether under the banner of the EU, NATO, or individual national forces – would effectively place them in the conflict zone, making them direct participants with all the consequences that entails.
As a possible alternative, he said that an unarmed observer mission or a civilian monitoring group could be considered to oversee certain aspects of a potential peace deal. Grushko said any peace deal will exclude Ukraine from NATO membership and Ukraine will remain neutral.
The Times reported, citing a British military source, that European nations plan to deploy at least 10,000 troops in Ukraine as a peacekeeping force.