Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday, that any Western troops deployed to Ukraine would be legitimate targets for Russian forces in response to security guarantees for Ukraine.
Speaking at an economic forum in Vladivostok, Putin said Moscow would treat foreign troops in Ukraine as hostile.
“Therefore, if some troops appear there, especially now, during military operations, we proceed from the fact that these will be legitimate targets for destruction,” he said.
“And if decisions are reached that lead to peace, to long-term peace, then I simply do not see any sense in their presence on the territory of Ukraine, full stop.”
His remarks came a day after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 countries had pledged to provide post-war security guarantees to Kyiv, potentially including an international force on land, sea and in the air.
Macron had also expressed confidence that Washington will provide joint security guarantees despite President Trump appearing hesitant to do so.
Russia has long argued that one of its reasons for launching the war was to prevent NATO from admitting Ukraine as a member and deploying allied forces on its territory.
Ukraine has pressed for firm Western backing to guard against future Russian attacks. France and Britain, which co-chair a “coalition of the willing,” have indicated they are open to deploying troops to Ukraine after the war ends.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out ground forces but suggested Washington could provide other forms of support, including air power.
Putin said security guarantees should apply to both Russia and Ukraine, adding “Of course, Russia will implement these agreements. But, in any case, no one has discussed this with us at a serious level yet.”
Trump, who took office in January with a pledge to end the war quickly, hosted Putin in Alaska last month in a summit that failed to deliver a breakthrough. Having “rolled out the red carpet” for the Russian leader, Trump later accused Putin of conspiring with China and North Korea after the three countries’ leaders staged a show of unity in Beijing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has long pushed for a direct meeting with Putin to try to advance peace talks. But Putin on Friday dismissed the value of such talks, saying “it will be practically impossible to reach an agreement with the Ukrainian side on key issues.”
Still, he reiterated an offer to host Zelenskyy in Moscow, promising “100%” security guarantees for his safety if the Ukrainian leader agreed to come.
“We are ready for any kind of meetings. But we don’t feel that Putin is ready to end this war. He can speak but it’s just words, and nobody trusts his words,” Zelenskyy said on Friday.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, day...
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing w...
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A rep...
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanit...
A Kyrgyz–Japanese archaeological expedition has uncovered the remains of a Buddhist temple complex at the medieval settlement of Ak-Beshim, a...
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanitarian funding to prevent conditions deteriorating further, the World Food Programme has warned.
The U.S military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran on Thursday (7 May). Meanwhile, Iran's Joint Military Command accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire, by striking an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on several Iranian cities.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though both sides signalled they did not want escalation. The clashes come as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a proposed deal to end the war while leaving key disputes, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, unresolved for now.
Singapore has isolated and is testing two of its residents who travelled aboard a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Thursday.
Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian Karakurt-class small missile carrier in the Caspian Sea near Russia’s Dagestan region on Thursday. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to Kyiv.
Somalia is facing a severe malnutrition crisis and urgently needs additional humanitarian funding to prevent conditions deteriorating further, the World Food Programme has warned.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to carry on as leader on Friday (8 May) after his ruling Labour Party suffered heavy losses in local elections. Labour lost hundreds of councillors across the country, as some figures in the party said he should stand down.
Indonesian rescue teams have located two Singaporeans who went missing after Mount Dukono erupted on Friday (8 May) on the island of Halmahera, though authorities say it remains unclear whether they are alive.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified files on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) on Friday (8 May), following an order from President Donald Trump. U.S. officials described as a push for “unprecedented transparency”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment