I am going to turn to Ambassador Mason and Dr. Kuzio to help with this.
My understanding is that both the Russian Federation and Ukraine were originally opposed, but in recent months, I believe, Ukraine has called for international peacekeeping troops on the international border between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, not on the line of separation. Putting peacekeepers or observers on the line of separation might suggest to some that this is the legitimate border, when it's actually a territory under occupation, a separation line that I literally stood beside and was nearly killed on. This would be recognizing somehow an illegitimately acquired territory.
The issue, and I believe this was referred to in the Globe and Mail article today, is how to define where these peacekeepers or observers would go. From the Ukrainian point of view, they should go on the original international boundary, a boundary, by the way, that the Russian Federation agreed would be inviolate when it supported the Minsk accords and the Budapest agreements. That was supposed to be the border. The territory of Ukraine was supposed to be sovereign. Crimea was occupied—the first violation of sovereignty—and now Donetsk and Luhansk. I think the Ukrainian position is, “We'll go back to what it was like before the war, and then we'll talk.” The Russian position, obviously, is, “We've acquired this territory.”
I can also add one point. Many of the people from the other side—I'll call it occupied Donetsk and Luhansk—travel across the border every day. It's almost bizarre to meet these people at the equivalent of Starbucks, 50 metres behind the lines. You're talking and having a coffee, and you're asking what it's like on the other side.
There has been very little reconstruction, very little attempt to repair the damage done by both sides during the war. As a result, the people on the other side, in occupied territory, are truly suffering—there is no doubt about it—whereas the people on the Ukrainian side don't seem to be, other than right along the line of demarcation. Back of that line, life goes on quite normally. I visited schools, churches, and private homes, and I saw people living their lives, as best they could with the understanding that occasionally artillery rounds come over.
I think both sides have called for peace; both sides have called for observers; both sides have called for some kind of international force. It's just a difference of where they go. I believe that the former secretary general said exactly the same thing.