Lavrov: Sending peacekeepers to Ukraine would be a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO

WEDNESDAY, 23 MARCH 2022, 11.50

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that sending peacekeepers to Ukraine could lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.

Lavrov said this while addressing students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, as reported by European Pravda.

"Our Polish colleagues have already stated that there will be a NATO summit and that peacekeepers need to be sent. I hope they understand what this is about. It would be precisely the direct confrontation between Russian and NATO armed forces which everyone not only wanted to avoid, but said should never happen in principle," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian media.

Last week, Poland said an international peacekeeping mission should be sent to Ukraine, and that the country should be provided with defence equipment.

Poland's Ministry of National Defence is currently working on a proposal to establish a NATO peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, but President Andrzej Duda may reject the document if it does not get the green light from the United States.

Ahead of NATO's extraordinary summit on Thursday, Poland's proposal is to be sent to the White House for consideration by US President Joe Biden.

The Polish government has previously stated that it is preparing to present the idea of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine at the NATO summit and at the European Council meeting, both of which will take place on 24 March.