Paula DeSutter, assistant secretary of state responsible for overseeing the implementation of international arms agreements, told journalists on June 5 during a visit to Brussels that "the United States is considering and discussing with our NATO allies options where we can propose to Russia an alternative peacekeeping force for Transdniester, one that is genuinely multilateral, with Russian participation."
"Even if you call them peacekeepers, you can't have stationed forces on someone else's territory without their consent, and that for us is a critical principle," DeSutter said. Uncertainty about the immediate future of talks centers on the response of Transdniester to the UN's pending decision on independence for Kosovo, and the possibility that Russia might withdraw from the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty. NATO members have not ratified the agreement because of Russia's continued troop presence in Transdniester.
"Even if you call them peacekeepers, you can't have stationed forces on someone else's territory without their consent, and that for us is a critical principle," DeSutter said. Uncertainty about the immediate future of talks centers on the response of Transdniester to the UN's pending decision on independence for Kosovo, and the possibility that Russia might withdraw from the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty. NATO members have not ratified the agreement because of Russia's continued troop presence in Transdniester.
