Ukrainian FM: Deploying UN peacekeepers in Donbas impossible without Russia’s agreement

Deploying UN peacekeepers in Donbass is impossible without Russia’s agreement, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said on Friday.

“UN can do this rather fast. There has been such experience but it, of course, requires Russia’s agreement in [UN] Security Council,” Klimkin told the Ukrainian newspaper “Segodnya” (Today).

“Now we have more opportunities as we received a status of non-permanent member in UN Security Council. We have friends and partners. However, since Russia is a permanent member of [UN] Security Council, the component [UN peacekeepers] cannot be deployed without its agreement,” he said.

The foreign minister added that “UN reform is a key issue today.” “That is why we, together with France and Mexico, propose an initiative on voluntary restriction of veto right and want to move to the reform that will narrow the possibility of using veto right, at least in cases that directly concern UN Security Council permanent members,” he stressed.

Kiev is already holding talks on possible deployment of peacekeepers with EU and UN, and Ukraine insists on expanding the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation) mission in Donbass. “I think that we will come to this [deployment of peacekeepers] because someone has to control the stabilization process,” Klimkin concluded.