Russia on Thursday rejected the idea of NATO countries sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire in the war with Russia, saying such a move would threaten to cause an "uncontrollable escalation".

Russia "will strive to make this decision part of the Alliance's policy," the state-controlled news agency quotes the diplomat as saying. Grushko described it as "one of the key elements of a possible agreement" and a component "related to eliminating the root causes" of Russia's war against Ukraine.