Russia's Putin calls for UN peacekeepers in eastern Ukraine

MOSCOW – 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.

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.