Peskov warns Russia will take measures over NATO forces in Ukraine

Moscow has repeatedly stated that the deployment of NATO military contingents in Ukraine would be unacceptable to Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, August 25.

Commenting on plans by the “coalition of the willing” to deploy a multinational military force to Ukraine after the conflict ends, Peskov described the issue as “a very important question and a very important topic.”

“This is not the first time there has been talk of an intention to deploy military contingents from countries that are members of the North Atlantic Alliance on the territory of Ukraine. There is a qualification: ‘after the end of the conflict,’” Peskov said.

“But we have repeatedly reiterated our position at various levels that the deployment of foreign military contingents from North Atlantic Alliance countries is unacceptable to us,” he added.

Peskov was also asked about remarks by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

“The statements by Stubb and Burnham indicate that the aggressive line toward the Russian Federation remains in place, and Moscow must take measures,” Peskov said.

He described their assertions about Russia's defeat as “a very big deception.”

“They want the war to continue. And apparently, they refuse to heed the realities on the ground,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

Peskov also expressed confidence that the Ukraine conflict would be discussed during a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organisations.

By Tamilla Hasanova