SAEDNEWS: Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any foreign troops sent to Ukraine will be considered “legitimate targets” by Moscow as Western countries mull sending military forces to Ukraine.
The warning came on Friday after an announcement by the "Coalition of the Willing". Made up mainly of EU nations, the coalition is a group of 31 countries providing military support to Kiev. They have pledged to send troops after a ceasefire. The coalition was announced in March this year.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin stated, “Regarding possible military contingents in Ukraine — if they appear in Ukraine today, they will be a legitimate target for the Russian military.”
He added, “If agreements are reached that lead to long-term peace, then I simply see no point in their presence on Ukrainian territory. That’s all. Because if these agreements are reached, no one doubts that Russia will fulfil them in full.”
Putin emphasized that foreign military presence would be unnecessary if peace is achieved. “If decisions are reached that lead to long-term peace, then I simply do not see any sense in their presence on the territory of Ukraine, full stop,” he said.
He also renewed his invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for direct talks. “If someone genuinely wants to meet with us, we are ready. The best place for this is the capital of the Russian Federation, the hero city Moscow,” he said. He pledged “one hundred percent” guarantees for the safety of any Ukrainian delegation.
Putin’s statement came in response to French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement on Thursday: “We have today 26 countries who have formally committed - some others have not yet taken a position - to deploy as a 'reassurance force' troops in Ukraine, or be present on the ground, in the sea, or in the air.” Macron made this statement while standing beside Zelensky.
The Ukrainian leader appeared amused by the announcement, saying, “I think that today, for the first time in a long time, this is the first such serious concrete step.”
On the same day, London also welcomed the coalition’s plan.
“The group had an unbreakable pledge to Ukraine, with [US] President [Donald] Trump’s backing, and it was clear they now needed to go even further to apply pressure on Putin to secure a cessation of hostilities,” the UK government said on its official website
Russia launched its “special military operation” in Donbas in February 2023 with the aim of liberating, demilitarizing, and denazifying the Russian-speaking region.
Moscow seeks to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and opposes the use of Ukraine by the West to build pressure against Russia. Russia also demands that Kiev surrender control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
