Russia rejects EU peacekeepers in Ukraine

The Kremlin emphasized on Wednesday that Russia opposes the deployment of European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.

The statement came as the Kremlin also dismissed the idea of a quick meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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Rejection of Peacekeeping Forces

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow views such discussions "negatively." He pointed to Russia’s opposition to any military presence by NATO countries in Ukraine as a primary reason for the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale military “operation” in February 2022.

Peskov noted that security guarantees for Ukraine are among the "most important topics" being discussed in any settlement talks, but he declined to publicly discuss the details of the issue.

No Immediate Summit Planned

Peskov also dismissed the possibility of a summit between Putin and Zelenskyy in the near future. He told media, including Agence France-Presse, that "any high-level or top-level contact must be well prepared to be effective."

He added that while senior Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are in contact, no date has been set for new negotiations.