Camilla Jessen
Foreign military presence would be “legitimate targets,” warns Russian president.
As international discussions intensify over deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a warning: any foreign troops entering the warzone will be considered legitimate military targets.
Russia’s Position on Foreign Troops in Ukraine
According to The Moscow Times, President Vladimir Putin has stated that any deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine during ongoing military operations would render those forces “legitimate targets for destruction.”
He made the statement while addressing the possibility of a foreign military contingent being stationed on Ukrainian territory.
Peace Settlement Conditions
Putin added that if a long-term peace agreement were reached between Russia and Ukraine, there would be no need for foreign troops to be deployed in the country.
He stated: “If these agreements are reached, let no one doubt that Russia will implement them, implement them in full.”
Security Guarantees for Both Sides
The Russian president emphasized that any peace deal would need to include security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine.
According to a report from Reuters, Putin said, “Russia will certainly implement these agreements. But, in any case, no one has discussed this with us at a serious level yet.”
Invitation for Talks with Ukraine
Putin repeated an earlier invitation to Ukrainian leadership to come to Moscow for peace talks.
He said he remains open to contacts with Kyiv for a peaceful resolution, although he also expressed doubts about the likelihood of meaningful negotiations on what he described as “key issues.”
Challenges in Reaching Agreement
Putin claimed that reaching a peace deal with Ukraine is “practically impossible” due to legal difficulties and disagreements over critical terms.
He did not provide specific details on what those legal or political obstacles might be.
Dialogue with the United States
Putin noted that he has an “open dialogue” with U.S. President Donald Trump but clarified that no new conversations between the two leaders have taken place recently.
Trump previously told reporters that he intended to speak with Putin in the near future.
Ongoing International Discussions
The issue of deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine has been part of ongoing international discussions.
No formal proposals for such a deployment have been adopted, and no international military contingent has been stationed in Ukraine as of this report.
