Miroshnik and Zakharova said different things last week about these peacekeepers’ real purpose and their degree of coordination with Kiev in the unlikely scenario of them being deployed to Ukraine.
The problem is precisely a possible fast shift in the actual role of these peacekeepers. It is just very unlikely that Russia will walk into this swamp with various uncertain possibilities for outcome. Just like Ukraine would not agree to a group of North Korean-Chinese peacekeepers so the Russians will find any solutions unacceptable that is sourced from EU/NATO nations.
Agreed, I can only imagine Russia agreeing to Western peacekeepers as part of a very difficult series of mutual compromises with the US and only in exchange for something of tangible significance in return, but it would still be taking a very serious risk.
There is a way to have European troops as peacekeepers which could be well acceptable to Russia and Putin.
Serbia, Republic Srpska, Swiss (allowed to carry only knives?), and perhaps Irish (allowed to carry only bad mouth?). Austrians should be out of consideration as they have skin in the game. Huns may be allowed too if they send national guard or similar non NATO aligned force (i.e. police etc)
The problem is precisely a possible fast shift in the actual role of these peacekeepers. It is just very unlikely that Russia will walk into this swamp with various uncertain possibilities for outcome. Just like Ukraine would not agree to a group of North Korean-Chinese peacekeepers so the Russians will find any solutions unacceptable that is sourced from EU/NATO nations.
Agreed, I can only imagine Russia agreeing to Western peacekeepers as part of a very difficult series of mutual compromises with the US and only in exchange for something of tangible significance in return, but it would still be taking a very serious risk.
There is a way to have European troops as peacekeepers which could be well acceptable to Russia and Putin.
Serbia, Republic Srpska, Swiss (allowed to carry only knives?), and perhaps Irish (allowed to carry only bad mouth?). Austrians should be out of consideration as they have skin in the game. Huns may be allowed too if they send national guard or similar non NATO aligned force (i.e. police etc)