Putin warns foreign troops in Ukraine would be ‘legitimate targets’
By Stefan J. Bos
More than two dozen of Ukraine’s allies in the so-called “coalition of the willing” have laid out options for sending a multinational land, sea, and air force to Ukraine, with U.S. backing.
The secretary-general of the NATO military alliance, Mark Rutte, said the plans discussed at a summit in Paris are linked to a broader settlement aimed at ending the war that began with Russia’s invasion in 2022.
“If a bilateral or trilateral meeting should take place with the Russians, particularly between Zelenskyy and Putin, clearly having clarity on the security guarantees is extremely important,” Rutte explained.
However, at an economic forum in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok, Putin warned that such deployments would be seen as hostile.
“Regarding potential foreign military contingents in Ukraine… if such troops appear there, especially while the fighting is ongoing, we will consider them legitimate targets for destruction,” Putin said.
International protection
Ukraine insists it needs international protection.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tyhkhi said Kyiv won’t repeat mistakes like the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which failed to prevent Russian aggression.
“Ukraine needs real security guarantees which are robust, which are really effective, and which are working. And obviously we don’t need a Budapest number two [memorandum],” Tyhkhi stressed.
Putin has floated the idea of meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Moscow — a proposal Kyiv has called unacceptable.
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