Putin threatens: Foreign troops in Ukraine will be legitimate targets

(Patria) - Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that any Western military forces deployed in Ukraine during the conflict will be considered legitimate targets for Russian attacks.

“If troops appear there, especially now during military operations, we proceed from the fact that they will be legitimate targets for destruction,” Putin said at the economic forum in Vladivostok.

Putin's statement comes in response to French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that 26 countries are ready to send troops to Ukraine as part of international security guarantees, in the event of a ceasefire or peace agreement with Russia. Macron emphasized that these forces would operate on land, sea, and air, with the aim of preserving peace.

Among the countries that have expressed readiness to send troops are France and Great Britain, while Croatia, Italy, and Poland have clearly stated that they will not participate in such an engagement. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković confirmed that sending Croatian soldiers to Ukraine “was not and is not on the table”.

The Kremlin, through spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, stated that foreign troops cannot ensure peace in Ukraine and that serious diplomatic effort is needed to reach an agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. At the same time, NATO and the EU reject Russian threats. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that Ukraine, as a sovereign state, has the right to decide on its security, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the West's goal is to create a strong Ukrainian army that will deter aggression in the long term.

Former US President Donald Trump also joined the discussion, participating in a joint call with Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump called on Europe to stop buying Russian oil and increase economic pressure on China, accusing Putin of creating an alliance with Beijing and Pyongyang.