Vladivostok (TDI): Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned on Friday that any Western soldiers deployed to Ukraine would be treated as legitimate targets by Moscow’s forces.
His warning came a day after Ukraine’s partners announced plans to create a multinational “reassurance” mission in support of a potential peace settlement.
On Thursday, around two dozen nations, led by France and the United Kingdom, pledged to contribute to the mission, which would involve troops on land, as well as naval and air patrols.
“If some troops appear there, especially now while fighting continues, we consider them legitimate targets,” Putin said during an economic forum in Vladivostok. He argued that such deployments would not help secure lasting peace and insisted that Ukraine’s growing military partnership with the West was one of the main drivers of the war.
Read More: Putin Warns Ukraine: Choose Negotiations or Face Military Solution
Details of the mission, including troop numbers and the exact role of participating countries, have not yet been disclosed. Kyiv has emphasized that Western-backed security guarantees are essential for any peace agreement, ensuring Russia cannot renew its offensive in the future.
Since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, tens of thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine devastated.
Read More: PM Shehbaz, President Putin Vow to Deepen Bilateral Partnership
Putin stressed that if a genuine peace deal is reached, foreign troops would be unnecessary. “If decisions are made that bring peace, long-term peace, then I don’t see any reason for their presence in Ukraine. If agreements are concluded, no one should doubt that Russia will honor them fully,” he said.
Ukraine and its allies, however, point to Russia’s record of violating previous commitments, particularly between 2014 and 2022, when Kremlin-backed separatists fought Ukrainian forces in the Donbas region.
