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Ukrainian security supremo wary of Russia's peacekeeping idea

He expects the reintegration bill to prevent the Russian scenario.

Ukrainian security supremo wary of Russia's peacekeeping idea
Oleksandr Turchynov
Photo: rnbo.gov.ua

Oleksandr Turchynov, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, has said that the Russian proposal to deploy a UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas poses a serious danger.

He said this at the People's Front congress in Kyiv, according to an LB.ua correspondent.

He said that, when adopted, the law on Donbas reintegration would prevent Russia from "disguising" its troops as peacekeepers.

"Russia's attempt to change skin from the aggressor to peacekeeper is a serious danger. Moreover, Russia has already pulled hardware, which was painted accordingly, and respective helmets to the border areas. This is a threat. Therefore the adoption of the law on reintegration will fully rule out a chance for Russia to get disguised as peacekeepers. It is and will remain the aggressor until we liberate Crimea," he said.

On 5 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the idea to deploy a peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine, but only along the line of contact and upon consent of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics. Russia has sent a resolution to this effect to the UN Security Council.

Ukraine seeks Western support for a UN peacekeeping mission across the entire separatist-held territory, including the uncontrolled sector of the Ukrainian-Russian border.

The Wall Street Journal said that the USA was going to seek Russia's approval for 20,000 peacekeepers across Ukraine's east "in the coming days".

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