Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his deputy Alexander Grushko have rejected the use of Western soldiers in Ukraine, which is being discussed in Europe.
“Under whatever guise they would appear, it would be a step towards escalation, not de-escalation,” Grushko told the Russian news agency Interfax. He also does not want to see any Europeans at the possible negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
At a press conference following a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday, Lavrov also described the presence of NATO peacekeepers as unacceptable.
The Kremlin had pointed out a day earlier that there were legal issues regarding such a deployment. Russia does not want to allow soldiers from NATO member states in Ukraine.
There is currently a debate about a possible peacekeeping force to secure a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron had already initiated this in December. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly declared his willingness to participate.
At a summit in Paris on Monday, Europeans appeared divided on the issue. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believes the discussion is premature. The United States has made it clear that it does not want to send soldiers to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for almost three years with Western help.