Russia's Putin calls for UN peacekeepers in eastern Ukraine
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
President Vladimir Putin says Russia will ask the U.N. Security Council to send peacekeepers to patrol the front line in eastern Ukraine.
Fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russia-backed separatists in the region has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014. A 2015 peace deal helped reduce the scale of fighting, but regular clashes have continued.
The separatists have opposed Ukraine's suggestion to deploy peacekeepers in the war zone.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Putin told reporters Tuesday that peacekeepers could help ensure safety for international observers who are monitoring the cease-fire.
But he insisted that the peacekeepers should be deployed only along the line separating the rebel-controlled territories and the area under government control where the clashes occur. Russia's foreign ministry will file a formal request with the U.N. Security Council, Putin said.