Russia's position remains main obstacle to peacekeeper deployment - ex-chief military prosecutor

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

"The main obstacle to the involvement of peacekeepers is Russia's position, as peacekeepers can only be deployed with the agreement of both warring sides. We have not yet heard from Lavrov or Putin about supporting peacekeeper presence. We heard Lavrov say that they are not satisfied with stopping at the current frontline, citing the Constitution and other issues. This nonsense remains part of Russia's state policy. And we haven't seen or heard any changes in Moscow's goals," Chumak noted.

The former Chief Military Prosecutor of Ukraine also added that the involvement of peacekeepers in Ukraine could be accompanied by significant conditions set by Russia.

"Not just with agreement, but with specific demands. For example, the condition that peacekeepers will be deployed, but Ukraine must maintain a 200,000-strong army with light weaponry. And that's it - no peacekeepers will come. Or Ukraine must reduce its missile programs or recognize, at the level of the Constitution and the Verkhovna Rada, that the territories of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk regions, and Crimea belong to Russia. So, this process could be accompanied by demands that no one will agree to. Therefore, while the initiative from Western countries exists, it is not enough to bring in peacekeepers," Chumak emphasized.

• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the country is ready to send troops to Ukraine for a peacekeeping mission.
• Turkey is open to deploying its peacekeeping forces in Ukraine – this issue was discussed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.