VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that any Western troops deployed to Ukraine would be treated as “legitimate targets” for Moscow’s forces, escalating tensions a day after Kyiv’s allies pledged support for a post-war security presence.
On Thursday, more than 20 nations, led by France and Britain, announced plans to contribute to a multinational “reassurance” force that would patrol land, sea, and airspace in Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. However, the alliance has yet to disclose troop numbers or specific contributions.
“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 the far eastern city of Vladivostok.
The Russian leader dismissed the initiative as counterproductive to lasting peace, reiterating his view that closer military cooperation between Ukraine and Western powers was one of the “root causes” of the conflict.
Kyiv insists that security guarantees backed by Western boots on the ground are essential to prevent Russia from re-launching its offensive once a peace agreement is in place.
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“If decisions are reached that will lead to peace, to long-term peace, then I simply don’t see the point in their presence on the territory of Ukraine,” Putin added. “Because if deals are reached, let no one doubt that Russia will comply with them in full.”
His assurances have been met with skepticism in both Ukraine and the West, which cite Russia’s repeated violations of agreements between 2014 and 2022, when Moscow-backed separatists fought Kyiv’s forces in eastern Ukraine.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, tens of thousands have been killed, millions displaced, and vast swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine reduced to rubble.
