European countries that support the idea of deploying a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine do not understand that peacekeepers should not just document violations but counter the Kremlin’s provocations and Russian attempts to advance, former Ukrainian Ambassador to the US, Oleh Shamshur, told Ukrinform in an interview.

Shamshur, commenting on the idea of creating a demilitarized zone on both sides of the line of demarcation as part of the plan to end the war, noted that it is currently unclear how the line will function and who will control it. Shamshur also said that such a peacekeeping force would be formed with the EU forces, and there would be no American military forces there, according to recent claims by US President Donald Trump.

“The expectation is that Europeans will take charge. However, as we see, most Europeans do not support this idea. The crucial point, in my opinion, is that even those who do support it don’t fully grasp that what is needed are not peacekeepers like those of the UN, who simply monitor violations. What is needed is a force capable of responding to Russian provocations and resisting Putin’s attempts to push forward,” said the former ambassador.

Earlier, former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba emphasized the unprecedented financial and logistical challenges of deploying a peacekeeping force along a 1,500-kilometer front line—from Chernihiv in the north to southern Ukraine.

“It isn’t about tens of thousands of troops; it’s far more than that,” he added.

He noted that an international peacekeeping contingent would not be in Russia’s interest, as Moscow still believes it can achieve its goals in this war.

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