Russia warned on Thursday that any foreign force deployed in Ukraine by Western countries would be considered a "legitimate target of combat," reacting to announcements by the UK and France about their intention to establish a multinational force in the event of a ceasefire.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry denounced "militaristic statements" that it considers increasingly dangerous. Moscow was responding for the first time to the meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" held Tuesday in Paris, during which London and Paris signed a declaration of intent on a future deployment.
The French president Emmanuel Macron He indicated that this could involve sending thousands of French soldiers. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for his part, mentioned the creation of a legal framework allowing British, French, and partner forces to operate in Ukraine, particularly to secure airspace and maritime borders and support the rebuilding of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Moscow warned that any deployment of Western military units, installations, or infrastructure on Ukrainian territory would be perceived as foreign interference and a direct threat to the security of Russia and other European countries. "All such units and installations will be considered legitimate combat targets for the Russian armed forces," the ministry added.
Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, claims it acted to prevent Ukraine's integration into NATO and the deployment of Western forces on its borders, a prospect it says it can never accept. Ukraine and its allies, on the other hand, accuse Moscow of waging a war of conquest and believe that robust security guarantees are essential in any peace agreement to prevent a further attack.
The United States has ruled out sending its own troops to Ukraine, but its special envoy, Steve Witkoff, told Paris that the president Donald Trump supported security protocols designed to deter any future aggression against Ukraine.
