The German government has supported Russia’s proposal to deploy UN peacekeepers to the Donbass region, Deputy Government Spokesperson Ulrike Demmer told a press briefing in Berlin on Wednesday.
The federal government welcomes the fact that Russia put forward a proposal on a UN mission,” she said, adding that detailed information on the Russian proposal is required for a full assessment.
She added that it would be advisable to deploy UN peacekeepers in the whole of the Donbass region, not just along the line of engagement.
The German government opposes the involvement of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republic in talks on the deployment of UN peacekeepers to Donbass, she said.
“It is unclear, why the Donbass militia should have a say in the discussion of the mission’s deployment to the territory of sovereign Ukraine,” she said. “It would be an unacceptable elevation of the importance of the self-proclaimed republics’ authorities,” Demmer added.
German Government Spokesman Martin Schaefer, in turn, said that he could not recall any such cases. According to him, as a participant to the Minsk process, Germany will assess and compare the positions of Kiev and Moscow. “Together with France, we will thoroughly assess Ukraine’s proposal and its doubts concerning Russia’s initiative,” Schaefer said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia would submit to the UN Security Council a resolution on deploying UN peacekeepers to the line of engagement in the Donbass region to ensure safety of the OSCE’s personnel. He noted though that the deployment of UN forces is only possible after weapons are withdrawn and the issue is agreed with representatives of the self-proclaimed Donbass republics.