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Kremlin spokesman says no plans to deploy UN mission to Russian-Ukrainian border

The Kremlin spokesman has stated that Minsk Agreements tackle the deployment of any missions to the borders
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, September 22. /TASS/. A UN security mission could ensure the security of the OSCE personnel but there are no plans to deploy such mission to the Russian-Ukrainian border, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"The Russian initiative is about a UN mission that would ensure the security of the OSCE mission members in areas where they perform their duties," the Russian presidential spokesman said. He added that "they are mostly active along the line of control."

When asked if the OSCE mission’s mandate stipulated visits to various parts of Ukraine, including those adjacent to the Russian border, Peskov answered in the affirmative. "Definitely. The plan is to ensure the OSCE mission members’ security in areas where they are active." "However, there are no plans to deploy a UN mission to the border," he stressed.

"Actually, the Minsk Agreements tackle the deployment of any missions to the border, and it [the deployment of a UN security mission to the Russian-Ukrainian border] would run contrary to the Minsk Agreements," the Kremlin spokesman explained.

According to Peskov, "the most important thing is that in any case, the modalities of any missions should be agreed on by the parties to the conflict, that is, Kiev and the unrecognized Donbass republics."

Russia’s initiative

On September 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin handed instructions to the Foreign Ministry to submit a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council, stipulating the deployment of UN peacekeepers to Donbass in order to ensure the OSCE mission members’ security.

Putin pointed out that the deployment of the UN forces would become possible only after the weapons withdrawal process completed and the issue was agreed on with the self-proclaimed Donbass republics.

The Russian president said that the deployment of the UN forces could help resolve the Ukrainian issue. On September 11, in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin agreed it might be possible to deploy UN peacekeepers not only along the line of contact in Donbass.

The Russian-drafted resolution concerning the UN mission to Ukraine, is currently under consideration at the UN Security Council. Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya told TASS on Sunday that after the first discussion of the document, the Ukrainian and US delegations said they were not ready to work on it. At the same time, Ukraine is likely to submit its own draft resolution to the UN Security Council.