Russia has issued a stark warning to Western nations, declaring that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine will be considered legitimate targets, just days after the United Kingdom and France pledged to send military forces there in the event of a peace deal.
The Russian Foreign Ministry warns that the deployment of military units, military facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure of Western countries on the territory of Ukraine will be classified as foreign intervention, spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in an official statement on Thursday.
The warning comes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a historic declaration of intent following a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, where officials from 35 countries gathered to discuss Ukraines security framework.
Following a ceasefire, the UK and France will establish military hubs across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and military equipment to support Ukraines defensive needs, Starmer announced after the summit.
Macron indicated that France could contribute several thousand troops to the effort, describing the security guarantees as robust. The French president also outlined that the United States would lead a truce monitoring mechanism with European participation.
The Paris summit marked a significant development as Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner attended, representing the first time US representatives joined Coalition talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the agreements as concrete commitments rather than empty promises, though he identified the territorial question as the most significant unresolved issue.
NATO chief Mark Rutte expressed optimism: I am absolutely convinced that, if this gets into place, Putin will never, ever try again to attack Ukraine.
However, not all European nations are prepared to commit ground forces. Germany signaled restraint, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz stating German forces would monitor from neighboring countries.
Comments