N8 countries positively view peacekeeping contingent – Zelenskyy
The countries of Northern Europe (N8) support the idea of introducing an international peacekeeping contingent to ensure peace in Ukraine, but much also depends on other countries, in particular the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
"The contingent – we are working on it. I like that eight countries have joined, which also look at it positively. This is Nordic-Baltic, we had a meeting in Kyiv, and I think it is critical. It depends on what role the United States will play in all this, it depends, I think, on the number of countries and the composition, and the personnel, and who will be able to help or guarantee what," Zelenskyy said during a conversation with journalists on Wednesday in Kyiv.
He said "this is part of the security guarantees," and they include not only the issues of the contingent, but also the economy, weapons and others.
"We still have a different vision regarding the number [the size of the contingent], and, well, you know, as with each of the agreements, there may be a different vision. The main thing is that we were moving towards a positive, towards peace, towards a sustainable fair peace, towards a result in any case," the president said.
The head of state said "we do not believe the Russians that they want something peaceful." "And that is why it is precisely on such principles that we believe in our army, and this will be one of the most important security guarantees, so I will maintain in any case the quantitative composition, the maximum quantitative composition, which Ukraine needs to protect its interests," Zelenskyy said.