Russia has firmly stated its opposition to the deployment of peacekeeping forces from European states to Ukraine, as explained by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during an interview in Minsk.
In the conversation with American blogger Mario Nawfal, Lukashenko emphasized that Russia will not consent to European Union peacekeepers in Ukraine. \"At least, this is Russia's position today. Especially since the leadership of the European Union, primarily Germany and France, is taking a very aggressive position at the moment,\" he remarked.
Amid growing concerns that U.S. security priorities are shifting elsewhere, a coalition of European countries, spearheaded by Britain and France, has been quietly developing a plan to send troops to Ukraine. The goal is to enforce any future peace settlements with Russia, according to reports by the Associated Press. Details of the deployment remain scarce.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently stated that the UK would \"play our part\" in any peacekeeping role in Ukraine, conditional upon support from the United States.
Additionally, Lukashenko revealed that in his recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Putin expressed a willingness to negotiate a resolution to the situation in Ukraine, including engaging with the Ukrainian side. Lukashenko stressed that Ukraine must be a party to any resolution.
On another note, Lukashenko touched upon a potential U.S.-Ukraine deal involving rare earth metals, warning that such a deal \"may be alarming for Russia and most likely is alarming\" if it extends beyond economic relations.
Reference(s):
Russia against any European peacekeepers in Ukraine, Lukashenko says
cgtn.com
