Russian President Vladimir Putin said troops from NATO allies in Ukraine would be viewed by Moscow as “legitimate targets,” as France, the U.K. and others pledge to put boots on the ground as part of security guarantees for Kyiv when the war ends.
Why It Matters
Putin’s warning comes as U.S. President Donald Trump tries to negotiate an end to the war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
A key element of an effort to find peace is a security guarantee for Ukraine as part of a settlement. Some of Ukraine’s European allies, including France and the U.K., said they would be ready to send troops to Ukraine as part of a deal. The United States said it would not.
Without European troops serving as peacekeepers—in the absence of other security guarantees from the U.S. or European allies—Ukraine could be vulnerable to more Russian aggression.
The EU, German and NATO flags fly near Germany’s Reichstag building, which houses the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, ahead of a ceremony to mark Germany’s 70 years in NATO in Berlin, on July…
The EU, German and NATO flags fly near Germany’s Reichstag building, which houses the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, ahead of a ceremony to mark Germany’s 70 years in NATO in Berlin, on July 9.
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What To Know
Putin, speaking at an Eastern Economic Forum panel event on September 5, said one of the “root causes” of the conflict was “drawing Ukraine into NATO,” the Russian state news agency Tass reported.
“Therefore, if any troops appear there, especially now during the course of hostilities, we proceed from the assumption that they will be legitimate targets for destruction,” Putin said.
He also said that after peace was achieved in Ukraine, there would be no need to deploy Western troops there.
Putin added that there should be security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine, and that the Russian Federation would respect them, Tass reported.
Russia has long said Ukraine must abandon its ambitions to join NATO as a condition for ending the war. In June, senior Russian official Sergei Ryabkov went a step further, suggesting that the war in Ukraine would not end until NATO reduced its military footprint in Eastern Europe.
Putin, on the prospect of pushing ahead with the peace effort that Trump is promoting, did not offer much optimism.
After meeting with the Russian president in Alaska on August 15, Trump had expressed hope for a bilateral meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a three-way summit involving himself.
However, Putin said he did not see much point in direct contact with Zelensky but was ready for them, Tass reported.
After his meeting with Putin in August, Trump met European and NATO leaders, and he told Zelensky that Washington would help guarantee Ukraine’s security in any deal. He also renewed a threat to impose further sanctions on Russia if there was no progress.
The 50-day deadline Trump gave Putin to end the war expired on Tuesday.
Putin said it would now be impossible to agree with Zelensky on key issues, Tass reported.
The Russian president also said Moscow would be the best place to meet Zelensky.
Russia would give a 100 percent guarantee for Zelensky’s security in the Russian capital, Putin said.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X on Thursday: “A strong Ukrainian army is and will remain the central element of security guarantees. Its capabilities—funding, weapons, production—that we ensure now, and should be in a year, in five years, in 10 years from now. Both in wartime and to guarantee security in peace.”
Yuriy Boyechko, the CEO of Hope for Ukraine, which helps frontline communities caught up in the war, told Newsweek on Tuesday: “The 50-day deadline President Trump set on July 14 produced no progress toward peace. On the contrary, we see Putin intensifying his attacks on civilians in Ukraine and he was able to sell to White House as retaliation for Ukrainian strikes against the Russian oil industry.”
What Happens Next
Trump said he spoke with Putin and had begun “the arrangements for a meeting” between Putin and Zelensky. It remains unclear whether a summit will take place or further economic punishment for Moscow will ensue.