European leaders are discussing the possibility of creating a 40-kilometre buffer zone in Ukraine as part of a peaceful settlement of the armed conflict, the newspaper Politico has reported.
According to the newspaper, European countries are trying to prevent overcoming the Ukrainian crisis through initiatives favourable to Russia. The option of creating a buffer zone is one of the proposals being studied by the Europeans in case of a cease-fire or a long-term settlement of the conflict.
The publication said that European leaders could move between 4,000 and about 60,000 troops to the buffer zone and hope that most of the contingent to create a buffer zone or enforce a ceasefire would be provided by Ukraine.
Politico noted that the initiative was not considered during the videoconference of NATO chiefs of general staff held on 25 August.
Earlier, the secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Mark Rutte, said that he did not believe that sending NATO troops to Ukraine and using them in the conflict was a wise decision.
