Poroshenko will request UN peacekeeping mission for Donbas
23 August 2017
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Aug. 22
he will ask the United Nations to send a peacekeeping mission to the wartorn
Donbas region during his September visit to the U.S. In his speech in
Severodonetsk, the president said he understands that Russia is a permanent
member of the UN Security Council, but “that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive
for such a decision.”
Poroshenko said he will have a telephone conversation
that evening with the leaders of the Normandy Format nations (France, Germany and
Russia), during which he would raise not only the proposal of introducing UN
peacekeepers, but also arming the current OSCE monitoring mission in Donbas.
“Yes, I understand this isn’t the first time we are raising this issue, but we
are demonstrating to the world our desire for peace and who is the true
aggressor, who want war,” he said.
Poroshenko said he will also call for a ceasefire
between Aug. 25 and Sept. 1 “so that children could at least go to school
finally.”
introducing UN peacekeepers and arming OSCE monitors are more for political
posturing than anything real. We expect the OSCE and the UN leadership will
avoid these proposals, regardless of Russia’s influence. Western leadership has
already demonstrated its reluctance to get directly involved in Donbas
militarily because it would risk escalating the fighting and isolating Russia
further. But Poroshenko is at least demonstrating efforts to resolve the
conflict with these proposals.
