Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, March 3 submitted to the State Duma a draft law on the ratification of the protocol on amending the Peacekeeping Agreement of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) dated October 6, 2007, Interfax reports (via Gazeta.ru).

The document, among other things, provides for the possibility of using the CSTO forces in peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) through a "coordinating CSTO member state."

According to the document, the “coordinating state” is one of the CSTO member countries that a special council will elect to resolve organizational issues and ensure the involvement of collective peacekeeping forces (CPF) in UN operations.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, told a briefing earlier that self-declared Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) could join the Collective Security Treaty Organization.