Foreign troops in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets for destruction,’ Putin says

Published connected 05/09/2025 - 10:08 GMT+2 •Updated 11:36

Moscow will see immoderate overseas unit deployment connected Ukrainian ungraded arsenic “legitimate targets for destruction”, Russian President Vladimir Putin said connected Friday.

"If immoderate troops look there, particularly now, during nan fighting, we presume that they will beryllium morganatic targets for destruction," Putin emphasised successful his keynote reside astatine nan Eastern Economic Forum successful Vladivostok.

"And if decisions are reached that will lead to peace, to semipermanent peace, past I simply spot nary constituent successful their beingness connected Ukrainian territory.”

“If these agreements are reached, nary 1 doubts that Russia will instrumentality them successful full.”

Putin’s comments came aft Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accompanied by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, shared connected Thursday that 26 European states, portion of nan alleged Coalition of nan Willing, were prepared to connection information guarantees to Ukraine successful a post-war capacity pursuing immoderate imaginable bid settlement.

Ukraine’s European partners person not suggested sending combat troops to Ukraine during nan ongoing war, but alternatively deploying a type of world peacekeepers only aft a imaginable ceasefire aliases a bid deal. 

These forces would not prosecute successful fighting but would only beryllium tasked pinch monitoring and maintaining bid aft nan statement is reached. 

The Russian president voiced doubts astir this possibility, though, saying it will beryllium “practically impossible” to scope an statement connected cardinal issues pinch Ukraine to extremity nan Kremlin’s full-scale invasion, presently successful its 4th year.

Putin besides said that Russia wants to get information guarantees arsenic well, without specifying what these measures could beryllium and really they would protect Russia successful its all-out warfare against Ukraine.  

“Peace guarantees must beryllium for both, Russia and Ukraine,” stressed Putin.

Putin reiterated Moscow’s resolute rejection of Ukrainian rank successful nan NATO defence alliance. At nan aforesaid time, nan Kremlin is not opposed to Ukraine’s desire to subordinate nan European Union, according to him.

He claimed that “Ukraine’s determination connected NATO cannot beryllium considered without looking astatine Russia’s (security) interests”, but Kyiv’s EU aspirations are a “legitimate choice”.

“I repeat, (Ukraine’s EU bid) is Ukraine's morganatic choice, really to build its world relations, really to guarantee its interests successful nan economical sphere, pinch whom to participate into alliances.”

What nan members of nan alleged Coalition of nan Willing were prepared to deploy was a “reassurance force” for Ukraine, according to Macron.

The French president and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted that this inaugural would require nan backing of nan United States.

Macron further asserted that Europe is prepared to travel done connected those guarantees to guarantee Ukraine’s bid and stability, and threatened further economical sanctions connected Moscow successful a bid to ramp up unit and unit them to nan negotiating table.

US President Donald Trump did not remark connected nan European proposal, but stated that he plans to clasp much talks pinch Putin soon.

Trump made nan remark arsenic he hosted US tech titans astatine nan White House for meal connected Thursday, adding that he has a “very bully dialogue” pinch nan Russian leader and expressing dream that nan US-led bid efforts will soon output progress.