Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine during ongoing hostilities will be considered "legitimate targets" by Moscow, heightening tensions as European leaders finalize plans for postwar security guarantees to Kyiv. The remarks, delivered at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on September 5, 2025, come just a day after 26 countries pledged readiness to support Ukraine with potential troop deployments on land, sea, and air once a ceasefire is in place.
Putin’s statement was unequivocal: “If some troops appear there, especially now, during military operations, we proceed from the fact that these will be legitimate targets for destruction.” According to ABC News, he further clarified that the presence of foreign forces would be unnecessary if a genuine peace deal were reached. “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.”
This warning follows a high-profile gathering in Paris, where French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 countries had agreed to contribute troops as part of a postwar “reassurance force” to maintain and guarantee peace in Ukraine. Macron was clear that this force “does not seek to wage any war on Russia,” but is intended to “reassure the people of Ukraine and maintain the ceasefire once it’s implemented, and maintain and guarantee peace.” The plan, Macron said, will be taken to the United States for formalization in the coming days.
Putin, however, said that discussions about deploying European forces to Ukraine have not been held with Russia at a serious level. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov echoed the president’s concerns, telling reporters in Vladivostok that “the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine near the Russian border would be dangerous for our country.” He added, “NATO’s attempt to find a way to Ukraine presents a threat to our country. That is why we view the presence of foreign armed forces, of NATO troops on the Ukrainian soil, near our borders, as a threat.”
Peskov also pointed to NATO’s own documents, which name Russia as an adversary, and stated, “We are the enemy of NATO. This is written in the NATO documents. We will do everything necessary to ensure our security.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that the postwar security guarantees are “not yet fully finalized,” but he was optimistic about the scale of the commitment. “Troop guarantees will definitely not be in single digits, but in the thousands. And that is a fact,” Zelenskyy said after meeting with the president of the European Council. He cautioned, though, that “it is still too early to talk about this” in detail.
According to Foreign Policy, Kyiv and its European allies view these security guarantees as essential to both Ukraine’s future and the broader stability of the continent. They have consistently sought to include peacekeeping frameworks in past cease-fire and peace negotiations. The reassurance force, as described by Macron, would not serve on the front lines but would instead have a presence on the ground, at sea, and in the air to help maintain order and deter further aggression.
U.S. President Donald Trump has so far maintained that Washington will not send ground troops to Ukraine, though he has suggested that the United States may provide airpower or other support to a future peacekeeping operation. Trump has also discussed increasing the U.S. troop presence in Poland, which borders Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, even as the administration scales back some security assistance programs for Eastern European militaries. These funding cuts, according to Foreign Policy, align with Trump’s push for Europe to shoulder more of its own defense costs, as reflected in recent U.S.-led initiatives to raise NATO’s minimum defense spending targets to 5 percent of GDP.
Germany, for its part, has stopped short of making firm military commitments to Ukraine. Markus Söder, leader of Bavaria’s Christian Social Union, rejected the idea of deploying German troops to Ukraine, citing both Russian opposition and the current limitations of Germany’s armed forces. “I find it hard to imagine NATO troops being stationed there. Russia would never accept that. It would be a precursor to Ukraine joining NATO,” Söder told the Rheinische Post. He added, “They are stretched to the limit, both financially and in terms of personnel. That is why conscription needs to be reintroduced.”
Söder’s comments reflect a broader hesitation within parts of Europe about direct military involvement in Ukraine, even as the majority of countries signal willingness to contribute to postwar security. Germany’s official stance remains that a decision on military engagement will be made “in due course when the framework is clear,” according to a government spokesperson quoted by Deutsche Welle.
On the ground, the conflict continues to evolve. Ukraine claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery, a facility located about 180 kilometers southeast of Moscow. The attack, which follows a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in recent months, highlights Kyiv’s ongoing efforts to disrupt Russia’s war machine. According to Reuters calculations cited by Deutsche Welle, Ukrainian drone attacks have shut down operations accounting for at least 17 percent of Russia’s oil processing capacity.
Elsewhere, Zelenskyy urged Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to halt oil imports from Russia, stating, “Russian oil, like Russian gas, has no future.” Fico acknowledged differing opinions with Zelenskyy on how the war might end, but suggested he could foresee a normalization of relations with Moscow at some point in the future. This exchange underscores the complex web of interests and perspectives among Ukraine’s neighbors and European partners.
As for the prospect of a negotiated peace, Putin indicated that a face-to-face agreement with Zelenskyy would be “practically impossible” unless talks were held in Moscow—a condition Ukraine rejects outright. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha noted that several nations, including Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, the Vatican, and three Persian Gulf countries, have offered to host such talks. Sybiha criticized Putin’s proposals as “knowingly unacceptable,” arguing that only increased pressure will push Russia toward a genuine peace process.
Despite the flurry of diplomatic activity, the future remains uncertain. Security guarantees for Ukraine are still under negotiation, and the exact role of foreign troops—should a ceasefire be achieved—remains a matter of intense debate. For now, Putin’s warning has added a new layer of risk to any plans for international deployments in Ukraine, making clear that Moscow will not tolerate what it sees as encroachment near its borders.
With the war grinding on and the stakes higher than ever, the world watches closely as leaders in Kyiv, Moscow, and across Europe weigh their next moves. The path to peace, it seems, is as fraught as ever—and the consequences of miscalculation could be dire for all involved.