Poroshenko: As country-aggressor Russia will not participate in peacekeeping mission in Ukraine

Russia cannot and will not participate in the peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

This statement has been made by Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko at the press-conference on Thursday, as he spoke about the initiative to invite a contingent of the UN peacekeeping forces to Donbas, Ukrainskaya Pravda informs.

“I would like to outline my clear position: Russia, as country-aggressor, cannot and will not take part in the peacekeeping operation,” he stressed.

"Ukraine will not agree to a peacekeeping format, which threatens to legalize thousands of Russian militaries – we already have enough such "peacekeepers"," the president noted.

Petro Poroshenko has also noted that the format of the European Union Police Mission is preferable for the peacekeeping mission.

“I will inform the European Commissioner on the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to appeal to the UN Security Council with a request for an international peacekeeping mission to ensure the preservation of peace in Donbas and control the Ukrainian-Russian border in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The format of the European Union Police Mission, which is to act basing upon a decision of the UN Security Council, is preferable,” he said.

Photo: AP