Agency Report –
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday that any Western troops deployed to Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets” for Moscow’s military, a day after Kyiv’s allies pledged to send a force to the country in the event of a peace deal.
“If some troops appear there, especially now during the fighting, we proceed from the premise that they will be legitimate targets,” Putin said at an economic forum in Vladivostok.
He added that the deployment of Western forces would not help secure long-term peace.
Putin’s remarks came a day after more than two dozen countries pledged to join a “reassurance” force to deploy in Ukraine once a peace deal or ceasefire is reached. The plan, backed largely by European states, aims to deter Russia from launching another attack after the war ends.
Uncertainty remains over the extent of U.S. involvement, even after European leaders held a video call with President Donald Trump following the Paris summit where the commitment was announced.
The summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, brought together leaders including Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who joined remotely.
“This is the first such serious concrete step,” Zelensky said, welcoming the decision.
Macron said 26 countries had formally committed troops, though not on the front line. The force, he said, would act to “prevent any new major aggression.” He added that rebuilding Ukraine’s military would be another pillar of the coalition’s security guarantee.
Germany and Italy voiced caution, with Berlin insisting it would wait for “clarified framework conditions” before deciding on troop deployments, and Rome ruling out sending soldiers but offering to help monitor a peace deal.
The United States was represented at the Paris talks by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who also met with Zelensky separately. Trump said he planned to speak to Putin soon, with the Kremlin confirming preparations for such a call.
Western leaders have grown increasingly frustrated over what they see as Putin’s unwillingness to negotiate. Macron accused Russia of trying to “play for time” while intensifying attacks on civilians.
On Thursday, a Russian rocket strike in northern Ukraine killed two aid workers from the Danish Refugee Council, Ukrainian officials said.
Putin, meanwhile, used recent visits to China and the United States to underscore Russia’s global ties. Speaking in Beijing this week alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping, he claimed Russian forces were advancing “on all fronts” in Ukraine.
