Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a grim warning, declaring that any Western troops positioned in Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets for defeat.” His remarks escalated the rhetoric the day after 26 countries lent their support to post-war security guarantees for Kyiv. Speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East, Putin raised NATO involvement as the seeable cause of the war and indicated that foreign troops would not be welcome in Ukraine to continue any active conflict.
Putin’s comments followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement at the Elysee Palace in Paris that dozens of nations had agreed to support Ukraine’s security in “different formats” from air defense, maritime patrols, to on-ground support. The pledge demonstrates the Western will and intent to avoid repeated Russian aggression after some ceasefire and represents a possible basis for renewing a defensive arrangement with the former Soviet satellites but also threaten to further agitate and muddy the Russian waters.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added some nuance by saying that any settlement should include security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine, while emphasizing Moscow’s long-standing demand for concessions to end NATO’s expansion eastward. Russian officials have routinely invoked NATO expansion as an excuse for the invasion of Ukraine, and Putin is now using that argument to oppose Western-led peacekeeping initiatives.
The timing of Putin’s comments is important. They come after a high-profile show of solidarity (in Beijing) with Chinese and North Korean leaders, emphasizing Moscow’s pivot towards alternative allies in the face of the West’s isolation. While the threat is very real, it points to the delicate balance between deterrence and diplomacy, as Western capitals consider security guarantees for Ukraine without crossing a red line for direct confrontation with Russia.
