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Luhansk republic leader would prefer Russian, Belarusian peacekeepers if any

Igor Plotnitsky doubts the European countries are really interested in the deployment of peacekeepers
Head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic Igor Plotnitsky  Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS
Head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic Igor Plotnitsky
© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

LUHANSK, February 9./TASS/. In case a peacekeeping force were to be deployed in eastern Ukraine's Donbas, the unrecognized Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) would rather the peacekeepers to be from Russia and Belarus, the head of the self-proclaimed republic has said, expressing doubts that European countries are really interested in seeing peacekeepers in the country’s embattled east.

"If it comes to the introduction [of peacekeepers] and we are asked for consent, of course we would first of all want to see them from the Russian Federation and possibly from Belarus," Igor Plotnitsky told a news conference on Monday.

"Poles, some Spaniards, Arabs and others are fighting against us on the side of Ukraine. That is why they [European countries] are hardly interested in the deployment of peacekeepers," Plotnitsky added.

Earlier, Donetsk People Republic’s envoy to the Minsk Contact Group Denis Pushilin said the need for peacekeepers is not ruled out after a ceasefire is imposed and the line of contact is determined.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has his own view as to the peacekeepers. At the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, he said Ukraine needs peace rather than a peacekeeping operation. According to Poroshenko, it requires closure of the Russian border. "Then peace and stability will be just a matter of a couple of weeks, and we won’t need peacekeepers," the president said.