Former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lt. Gen. (Reserve) Ihor Romanenko, has told UNIAN the deployment of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine's Donbas could cost up to $1.5 billion.
Romanenko noted that the decision to deploy the force has to be approved by the UN Security Council, where the Russian Federation has veto power.
“Even if this happens, it will take time for a UN technical mission to come in," the military expert said, adding that the experts would then have to consider the exact amount of funds required for concrete purposes.
According to Romanenko, Donbas would need a 5,000 to 20,000-strong peacekeeping force, that's according to preliminary estimates.
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“The provisional cost is up to $1.5 billion. This is a very big sum for the UN,” the general added.
He noted that the force would have to include military, policing, and administrative components.
“Relevant proposals are on the table; they are being discussed,” said Romanenko.
As UNIAN reported earlier, on September 26, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin stated that Ukraine, the United States, Germany, and France had long prepared a joint draft resolution of the UN Security Council on the deployment of a peacekeeping force in Donbas. According to the top diplomat, the resolution will be submitted for consideration by the UN Security Council.
