Nebenzya: Russia will not accept conflict freeze or NATO's participation in settlement

Russia strongly rejects any proposals for freezing the conflict in Ukraine, as well as NATO's participation in crisis resolution, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said at a UN Security Council meeting focused on the situation in Ukraine, according to Report.

"We would like to remind once again that Russia will not accept any conflict freezing schemes. Through the Minsk agreements, we have become fully convinced that neither the West nor the Kyiv junta can be trusted. We well understand that the purpose of this exercise is to give the Kyiv regime much-needed respite on the battlefield to lick its wounds," the diplomat said.

He also emphasized that Russia will not allow any NATO role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, calling the alliance part of the problem.

"There can be no question of any NATO role in resolving the Ukrainian crisis. The alliance and Ukraine's membership prospects have been part of the problem from the beginning, not part of its solution," added Nebenzya.