The Russian diplomat gave an interview to the newspaper Izvestia on Monday, in which he emphasized the importance of strong security guarantees that must be part of the agreement to solve the conflict in Ukraine.

In Grushko’s point of view, these measures are necessary to achieve lasting peace and strengthen regional security. He also noted that the discussed peaceful resolution of the conflict must also include the external environment.

The guarantees must also include the non-deployment of military contingents from the European Union, NATO, or individual Western states under the guise of “peacekeepers” on Ukrainian territory, as Russia will consider such troops to be a party to the conflict.

Earlier, Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, commented on British and French statements regarding Moscow’s inability to block the deployment of “peacekeepers” to Ukraine, and expressed Russia’s opposition to the presence of Western troops on Ukrainian soil.

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