Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday (Sept 5) that any Western troops deployed in Ukraine would be regarded as legitimate targets for Russian forces. His comments came a day after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 nations had pledged to provide Ukraine with postwar security guarantees. These commitments, Macron said, could include an international force with land, naval, and air components to safeguard Ukraine once the conflict ends.

For years, Moscow has argued that one of the key reasons for its military intervention in Ukraine was to block NATO from extending membership to Kyiv and from placing allied troops on Ukrainian soil. Russia has consistently framed Western military involvement as a direct threat to its own security. “Therefore, if troops appear there, especially during ongoing military operations, we will treat them as legitimate targets for destruction,” Putin said while addressing an economic forum in Vladivostok.

He also suggested that foreign forces would have no role once peace is achieved. “If decisions are reached that secure peace, a lasting peace, then I simply do not see any sense in their presence on the territory of Ukraine, full stop,” Putin added. The statement underscores rising tensions as Western nations weigh expanded support for Ukraine.