Kremlin opposes NATO troops in Ukraine peace talks
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Thursday that Russia "completely agrees" with the U.S. position on Ukraine. However, he reiterated that Russia would not accept the deployment of European troops in Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.
Many pieces of information provided by Russian media or government representatives are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information warfare conducted by the Russian Federation.
Peskov firmly declared that Moscow will not accept the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory.
He referred to reports from the "Washington Post," which suggested the possibility of sending 30,000 European soldiers to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement. The Kremlin spokesman stated that such a scenario would be unacceptable for Russia, echoing sentiments expressed by Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.
Security guarantees for Ukraine
Ukraine's European partners emphasize that a ceasefire requires international security guarantees, including the potential deployment of allied troops.
The head of Polish diplomacy, Radosław Sikorski, emphasized on Wednesday that any decision to deploy a potential peacekeeping mission, consisting of European troops, would belong to Ukraine. "The entire essence of the Ukrainian resistance against Russian aggression is that it is Ukraine's decision what foreign troops, if any, should be on its territory," Sikorski stated.
Peskov also commented on the political situation of Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming that his ratings are falling. However, surveys from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicate that trust in Zelensky has risen to 57%.
Elections in Ukraine?
According to media reports, Russia demands that one of the conditions for the ceasefire should be holding presidential elections in Ukraine.
It is worth recalling that former U.S. President Donald Trump recently described Zelensky as "a dictator without elections," which the Ukrainian leader deemed Russian "disinformation." Zelensky did not organize elections due to the ongoing war, and his term was extended in accordance with the law on martial law.
