At a briefing by the representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, a representative of the Dunya News publication asked a question about Moscow’s plans to send its peacekeepers to participate in the international “stabilization forces” in the Gaza Strip, which will be deployed in accordance with the peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
The question was: is Russia, in the current situation – when a number of countries have expressed their readiness to send peacekeepers to help establish peace in the Gaza Strip – the possibility of deploying its forces under the auspices of the UN or within the framework of another international mechanism, and what is Moscow’s official position.
“The deployment of the International Stabilization Force in the Gaza Strip, the composition and mandate of which must be determined by the Peace Council, is provided for by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 with the corresponding peace plan of US President Trump,” Zakharova responded. “There is no talk of establishing a classic UN peacekeeping mission, accountable and controlled by its Security Council. This is one of the reasons why Russia abstained from voting on this resolution.”
“In general, it should be noted that traditionally Russian military personnel are not sent to UN peacekeeping operations as “blue helmets”,” continued the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. “We provide assistance to such operations through the involvement of military observers and advisers, as well as by providing services for the education and training of UN peacekeepers.”