- Dozen countries vow to join “reassurance” force in Ukraine.
- Deployment of force not conducive to long-term peace: Putin.
- He says Moscow will comply with deals if they’re reached.
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday that any Western forces deployed to Ukraine would be a “legitimate” target for Moscow’s army, a day after Kyiv’s allies said they had committed to a troop presence in the event of a peace deal.
Two dozen countries, led by France and Britain, pledged Thursday to join a “reassurance” force on land, at sea and in the air to patrol any deal.
“If some troops appear there, especially now during the fighting, we proceed from the premise that they will be legitimate targets,” Putin said at an economic forum in the far eastern city of Vladivostok.
He added that the deployment of such a force was not conducive to long-term peace and said Ukraine’s closer military ties with the West were one of what he calls the “root causes” of the conflict.
Ukraine’s allies have not revealed any specific details of the plan, including how many troops it would involve and how specific countries would contribute.
Kyiv says security guarantees, backed by Western troops, are crucial to any peace deal to ensure Russia does not re-launch its offensive in the future.
Tens of thousands have been killed since Moscow launched its offensive in February 2022, forcing millions from their homes and destroying much of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Putin said if a deal could be struck, there was no need for the troops.
“If decisions are reached that will lead to peace, to long-term peace, then I simply don’t see the point in their presence on the territory of Ukraine.
“Because if deals are reached, let no one doubt that Russia will comply with them in full,” he said.
Ukraine and the West point to a long list of times Russia has broken agreements, including between 2014 and 2022, when Moscow-backed separatists were fighting Kyiv’s army in the east of the country.
