UNITED NATIONS — Despite qualms about embroiling peacekeeping troops in the global fight against Islamist extremists, the United Nations Security Council voted Thursday to establish a force for Mali, where militants controlled much of the north until France intervened in January.

The United Nations force, to be composed of 11,200 soldiers and 1,440 police officers, is due to deploy July 1 to stabilize the nation, on the condition that the fight between the French-led troops, who are supporting the Malian government, and the retreating militants remains low-key.

“We know it is going to be a fairly volatile environment,” said Hervé Ladsous, the head of peacekeeping for the United Nations, after the unanimous 15-to-0 vote in the Council. The resolution specifies that French troops, which deployed in January to push the Islamist militants out of the north, will intervene again should the peacekeeping forces face an “imminent and serious threat.”

Russia expressed concerns that the United Nations blue helmets, as the peacekeeping soldiers are known because of their distinctive headgear, are moving away from their traditional role of monitoring cease-fires to more aggressive tasks.