MOSCOW - Russia has rejected the possible deployment of NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine, suggesting unarmed observers or a civilian monitoring group sent there to oversee a potential peace deal.

Discussions on peacekeeping efforts in Ukraine remain premature and should only take place after a formal peace agreement has been reached, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko in an interview with Russian daily Izvestia on Sunday.

Grushko emphasized that NATO's involvement in peacekeeping operations is fundamentally contradictory.

"NATO and peacekeeping are entirely incompatible. The real history of the alliance consists of military operations and unprovoked aggression to assert its global and regional dominance," he stated.

He reaffirmed Russia's stance that the deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine -- whether under the banner of the EU, NATO, or individual national forces -- would effectively place them in the conflict zone, making them direct participants with all the consequences that entail.

As a possible alternative, he said that an unarmed observer mission or a civilian monitoring group could be considered to oversee certain aspects of a potential peace deal.

"Such mission could ensure compliance with specific provisions and serve as part of a broader guarantee mechanism," he added.