The United States supports UN peacekeepers' access to the entire area of the occupied Donbas, including the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border, but it does not support the presence of Russian citizens in the peacekeeping mission, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker told The Washington Post.
"The force must have access to the Ukraine-Russia border and not have any Russian personnel in it," Volker was quoted as saying in an article published by The Washington Post on November 26.
According to the U.S. special envoy, the U.S. idea is to create a true U.N. peacekeeping force that would have not only free rein but also security authority throughout contested areas.
Volker said he would continue negotiations with Moscow.
He said the peacekeeping plan represents the best hope to return to Minsk II, a peace agreement that both Ukraine and Russia pledged to follow. That process is stalled primarily because Russia won't honor provisions mandating a ceasefire, the removal of its heavy weapons from eastern Ukraine and access to the border.
