Russia has rejected the possibility of sending NATO peacekeepers to Ukraine and instead offered to send an unarmed observer mission or civilian monitoring group to monitor a future peace treaty.
Addressing an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia on Sunday, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said talks regarding peacekeeping arrangements are still premature and must be conducted only after a formal peace accord is concluded.
In a report by Xinhua news agency, Grushko condemned NATO's peacekeeping role, claiming that its past is characterized by military interventions and unprovoked acts of aggression meant to gain global and regional supremacy.
"NATO and peacekeeping do not go hand in hand. The real history of the alliance is one of military campaigns and unilateral aggression," he said.
Reiterating Russia's stance, Grushko cautioned that the presence of any NATO force in Ukraine, under the auspices of the European Union, NATO, or under national command, would inevitably commit them to the conflict as direct participants with a sure shot consequence.
He offered an unarmed observer mission or civilian-monitored observation group as a possible alternative for the implementation of some components of a peace agreement.
A mission of this kind could guarantee compliance with terms agreed and be part of a wider security framework," he said.
He also added that long-term stability in Ukraine and the region would need tangible security assurances, such as Ukraine's neutrality and a promise from NATO not to accept it as a member.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is said to be seeking Russian President Vladimir Putin's support for a 30-day ceasefire plan, to which Ukraine has already agreed. Putin has, however, imposed some conditions on its adoption.
Trump is set to explore potential actions that could bring a halt to the three-year-old war in Ukraine during a coming discussion with Putin, a US envoy, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, reported. Speaking on Sunday with CNN, Witkoff termed his latest encounter with Putin in Moscow as "positive."
Those attempts at diplomacy aside, Russia has long been set against NATO monitors in Ukraine and is holding out against that vision, something which Grushko reaffirmed.
At the same time, Britain and France have both indicated readiness to deploy a peacekeeping force to oversee any ceasefire deal, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated willingness to similar requests.
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