Vladimir Putin has issued a firm warning to Western leaders considering deploying NATO troops in Ukraine to maintain any peace agreement Kyiv and Moscow may struck in the future. The so-called ‘coalition of the willing’, comprising NATO members who have pledged to continue supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, has been mooted as a potential peacekeeping force in the event of a cessation of hostilities.
However, the Kremlin has consistently denied that it would be willing to tolerate NATO troops deploying near its border. Speaking on Friday at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), the Russian dictator gave the strongest sign yet that any move by NATO to move troops into Ukraine could drag the alliance into conflict with Russia. He said in a speech: “As for the possible deployment of military contingents in Ukraine — this is one of the root causes of Ukraine being drawn into NATO.
“Therefore, if any troops appear there, especially now, in the midst of ongoing hostilities, we will regard them as legitimate targets for strikes.”
Britain has been leading the coalition alongside with France, and Sir Keir Starmer has previously suggested he’s willing to send UK boots on the ground after a peace deal is reached.
The Kremlin has often claimed its illegal invasion of Ukraine had been provoked by the Kyiv government warming up to the West and considering a NATO membership.
He added: “If decisions are reached that will lead to peace, to long-term peace, then there is no point in the presence of foreign troops on the territory of Ukraine.”
US President Donald Trump has given mixed signs about whether the United States would be part of any deployment, having suggested following his meeting with Putin in Alaska that he would be open to using a mix of US air power and boots on the ground.
He has since rowed back on the comment, insisting that US soldiers would not be sent to the country, but has continued to emphasise the need for Putin to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and has also suggested the US would be supportive of peacekeeping measures.
Putin has indicated that he is willing to meet with the Ukrainian leader, something met with suspicion from most analysts.
Speaking at the EEF, Putin seemed to confirm that he was unlikely to meet with Zelensky, a person he has continually called for the removal of and labelled a “Nazi”, despite the Ukrainian president’s Jewish heritage.
The Russian leader claimed that he saw little point in any meeting, claiming that “it will be almost impossible to agree with the Ukrainian side on key issues.”
He added: “If someone really wants to meet with us, we are ready. The best place for this is the capital of the Russian Federation, the hero city of Moscow … We will definitely provide working conditions and safety.”