Putin tells Merkel U.N. peacekeepers could be deployed not only on Donbass contact line

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday that UN peacekeepers might be deployed to eastern Ukraine not only on the Donbass contact line separating the sides of the conflict but in other parts where OSCE inspectors work. Putin, in a phone call with Merkel, gave her a detailed description of Russia's initiative to establish a UN mission to protect observers from a special OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine, the Kremlin said. Taking into account the ideas expressed by Merkel, Putin said Moscow was ready to add new functions to this UN mission proposed in the Russian variant of a UN resolution on Ukraine. (writing by Denis Pinchuk; editing by Dmitry Solovyov)