"We believe UN Security Council resolution 1701 says nothing about the need to deploy UN troops on the border between Lebanon and Syria," said Vladimir Trofimov, head of the Middle East and Africa department. "It only deals with the Lebanon-Israel border."
Israel has pressed for a UN force to be sent to Lebanon's border with Syria, which it accused in the past of being the main transit route for weapons supplies for Hizbollah militants. Lebanon said this was unnecessary.
The UN has deployed troops in southern Lebanon to enforce the August 14 ceasefire and eventually hopes to increase it to 15,000, mainly through EU contributions. Lebanon plans to send in a corresponding number of government troops. Russia's participation in the peacekeeping mission has also been discussed.
Israeli military operations in Lebanon began July 12 after Hizbollah killed three Israeli servicemen and captured two others in a cross-border raid.
Before the truce, Israeli military operations claimed the lives of about 1,000 Lebanese civilians, forced nearly a quarter of the country's population to flee their homes, and demolished large parts of the country's infrastructure. Over 160 Israelis also died.
