Putin's proposed U.N. Ukraine peacekeepers must have full access - Merkel

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen at a polling station during the municipal elections in Moscow, Russia, September 10, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Kadobnov/Pool

BERLIN(Reuters) - Any United Nations peacekeepers sent to eastern Ukraine must be granted access to the entirety of the region held by Moscow-backed separatists, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin floated the idea of deploying U.N. troops to eastern Ukraine in a Monday call with Merkel, suggesting that the U.N. mission could protect observers from the international OSCE monitoring mission.