Moscow warns European peacekeepers in Ukraine would mark NATO’s official war involvement

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any potential deployment of European peacekeepers in Ukraine would be seen as direct NATO involvement in the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Addressing a press conference in Moscow, Lavrov expressed Moscow's firm opposition to such a move, asserting that it would escalate the situation into an official confrontation, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“There is this discussion with a frankly hostile purpose, they do not hide what they need it for,” Lavrov stated, referring to discussions about peacekeepers in Ukraine. He emphasized that the presence of foreign peacekeeping forces would be perceived by Russia as a direct involvement of NATO countries in the war.

“We will consider the presence of these troops on Ukrainian territory in exactly the same way as we considered NATO's potential presence in Ukraine,” Lavrov continued, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

Lavrov reiterated that Moscow would not tolerate such a development, warning that it would signify “no longer an alleged hybrid war, but already a direct, official, unconcealed involvement of NATO countries in the war against the Russian Federation.” He added that this step could not be allowed under any circumstances.

He noted that regardless of whether the peacekeepers are deployed under national or EU flags, "they will still be NATO troops."

Earlier, the Spanish media reported that most European Union (EU) countries are reluctant to send peacekeepers to Ukraine without the involvement of the United States.

An unnamed senior official in Brussels said that the first priority is to bolster Ukraine's military in case of a potential attack. The next step would be to assess whether Europe is willing to contribute in other ways, including the possibility of sending troops on the ground.

The Italian government expressed criticism of the idea of deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine.

By Vafa Guliyeva