Putin warns Western troops in Ukraine would be “legitimate targets”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a sharp warning about Western involvement in Ukraine, saying that if foreign troops were ever deployed there, they would be treated as “legitimate targets.” His remarks came just one day after Ukraine’s allies, meeting in Paris, pledged to back Kyiv with security guarantees once a ceasefire is reached.
At that Paris summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stood alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced that 26 nations had agreed to contribute support in different ways—by land, air, or sea. These forces would not be intended to fight Russia directly, but rather to secure Ukraine once hostilities end. Macron stressed that the presence of international forces would be to prevent further aggression, not to escalate the war.
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But Moscow immediately pushed back. Putin declared that such a deployment would be unnecessary and dangerous, arguing that any international force in Ukraine would automatically pose a threat to Russia. He added that if peace agreements were ever reached, foreign troops would have no role, since Russia, he insisted, would fully honor any settlement. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, went even further, saying that security guarantees should not only be extended to Ukraine but also to Russia itself—framing NATO expansion and Western involvement as the original causes of the conflict.
Despite the heated warnings, Putin also suggested he was open to talks. Speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East, he said he was ready for contact with Zelensky but doubted meaningful progress could be made. Putin even repeated an offer for Zelensky to come to Moscow, promising full security. Kyiv immediately rejected the idea, calling it another attempt by Russia to delay real negotiations. Ukrainian officials said that if a meeting were to take place, it should be held in a neutral location—several countries, including Austria and Switzerland, have already offered to host.
Meanwhile, the United States and European leaders remain divided over how far to go with their pledges. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has recently been active in discussions, hinted that America’s role could focus on air support, particularly defending Ukraine’s skies. But Washington has stopped short of promising boots on the ground. European leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, emphasized that the first step must be a ceasefire, followed by credible guarantees for Ukraine’s security.
On the battlefield, however, Russia continues to press forward. Ukrainian officials reported new missile strikes, including one that killed humanitarian workers in the north of the country. Western leaders fear that Moscow is simply stalling negotiations while trying to seize more territory.
For now, the gap between the two sides remains vast. While Ukraine and its allies push for international security commitments, Putin insists foreign forces would never be tolerated. His warning leaves the world facing a difficult question: can a peace agreement be reached without deeper Western involvement, or will outside support inevitably become the next flashpoint in this long and devastating war?
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