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Possible deployment of UN mission to Donbass still on agenda — Kremlin

In September 2017, Vladimir Putin came out with an initiative to deploy a UN mission to the contact line in Donbass to ensure safety of OSCE monitors

SOCHI, May 21. /TASS/. Parameters of a possible United Nations mission to Donbass are still being discussed, the situation is complicated by instability at the contact line, Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.

"Various modalities are being discussed at the moment. So far, we cannot say that all the positions have been agreed. The situation is seriously complicated by instability at the contact line," he said, adding that the topic of a UN mission was raised at Putin’s talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on May 18 in Sochi.

"Efforts will be continued. We agreed to continue discussion of these matters in the format of foreign ministers and foreign policy aides," he added.

When asked whether such a solution could be elaborated by Moscow and Berlin, the Kremlin spokesman stressed that the issue of a mission to Donbass "cannot be settled by Russia and Germany alone." "Sooner or later, this matter is to be discussed at the United Nations Security Council, after all the aspects are agreed. But as of yet, all the aspects are far from being completely agreed," he said.

In September 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin came out with an initiative to deploy a United Nations mission to the contact line in Donbass to ensure safety and security of OSCE monitors. Later, he said the mission could be deployed in other Donbass regions visited by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. Kiev insists a UN peacekeeping mission be deployed to entire Donbass, including the border section with Russia.