Putin says Western troops in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets' for Russian Army
The Kremlin leader's remarks come the day after a meeting of European allies in Kiev focused on security guarantees for Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday that any Western forces deployed in Ukraine would represent a "legitimate target" for the Russian military.
"If troops appear there, especially now, during combat, we start from the premise that they will be legitimate targets," Putin told an economic forum in the eastern city of Vladivostok.
The Russian president added that such a deployment is not conducive to peace in the long term and reiterated that closer military ties between Ukraine and Western countries are part of what he sees as "root causes" of the conflict.
The Kremlin leader argued that if an agreement is reached, the presence of troops in Ukraine will not be necessary.
"If decisions are made that will lead to peace, to a long-term peace, then I simply do not see the sense of their presence on the territory of Ukraine, because if an agreement is reached no one doubts that Russia will fully comply," he stated.
Fundamental guarantees for lasting peace
Putin's statements come the day after a meeting of European allies that took place in Paris, focused on security guarantees for Ukraine.
A group of 26 countries, led by France and the United Kingdom, on Thursday pledged military support for Kiev in case a cease-fire with Russia is finalized.
"Today we have 26 countries that have formally committed - some others have not yet taken a position - to deploy troops as a 'security force' in Ukraine, or to be present on land, sea or air," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters after the summit.
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Ukraine's allies did not specify details of the plan, such as how many troops would be involved and how the various allied countries would contribute. For its part, Ukraine argues that these security guarantees are essential to a peace agreement that would ensure that Russia does not relaunch an offensive against its territory.
A push toward real peace
Through a posting on his X account, Zelensky noted that both he and Trump held a "detailed" conversation, following the meeting of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" in the city of Paris.
"First and foremost, we talked about how to push the situation toward real peace. We discussed different options, and the most important thing is pressure, using forceful measures, particularly economic ones, to force an end to the war. The key to peace is depriving the Russian war machine of money, depriving it of resources," said Zelensky.
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