Putin says Western troops would be ‘legitimate targets’ if they are in Ukraine

By Darya Tarasova and Catherine Nicholls, CNN

(CNN) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that any Western troops in Ukraine would be considered “legitimate targets for defeat,” a day after it was announced that dozens of Western countries have pledged to contribute to a potential peacekeeping force there if a ceasefire deal is agreed.

“This is one of the root causes (of the war): trying to involve Ukraine in NATO,” Putin said, speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East on Friday. “So if any troops appear there, especially during the ongoing hostilities, we assume they will be legitimate targets for defeat.”

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 26 countries are “backing security guarantees” for his country “in different formats.”

“We have agreed there will be presence,” he said, adding that how this will look will depend on the country involved. “The presence is different. It is in the sky, in the sea and on the ground,” he said.

Putin, however, suggested that if a ceasefire was agreed between his country and Kyiv, then there would be no need for any third parties to get involved.

“If decisions are reached that lead to long-term peace, then I simply see no reason for their presence on Ukrainian territory,” he said. “Because if such agreements are reached, let no one doubt that Russia will fully implement them.”

Also on Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said security guarantees should be provided both to Russia and Ukraine following an end to the war, seemingly contradicting his boss.

“What was one of the root causes of this conflict? It was when the foundations of security guarantees for our country began to be eroded, when Ukraine was being drawn into NATO, and when NATO’s military infrastructure began moving toward our borders,” Peskov said, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.

“Naturally, these guarantees, in the process of settlement, must be provided to both us and the Ukrainians,” he continued.

Last month, Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov called on the West to “think about” what it had to offer Russia regarding such guarantees.

Russian officials frequently refer to what they say are “root causes” of the conflict, which have previously included Ukraine’s existence as a sovereign state and NATO’s eastward expansion since the end of the Cold War.

The threat to target foreign peacekeeping forces in Ukraine is the latest of Russia’s inflammatory statements regarding outside involvement in the conflict.

Last September, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was adjusting its protocols for use of nuclear weapons in light of enhanced Western support for Ukraine.

Putin’s comments also come at the end of what many saw as a positive week for the Russian leader.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with his Chinese and North Korean counterparts in Beijing, Putin was able to show the world that, despite Western attempts to isolate his country, he still has powerful allies.

Speaking from Beijing on Wednesday, the Russian leader said US President Donald Trump had asked him to hold talks with Zelensky.

“Donald asked me if it was possible to hold such a meeting. I said yes, it is possible. In the end, if Zelensky is ready, let him come to Moscow. Such a meeting will take place,” Putin said.

He reiterated this call on Friday, promising to provide “security” should Zelensky visit the Russian capital.

“The Ukrainian side wants this meeting and is proposing it,” Putin said. “I said, ‘I am ready, please come. We will definitely provide conditions for work and security. A hundred percent guarantee.’”

Kyiv dismissed the offer outright, accusing Russia of once again attempting to stall peace efforts rather than working towards them.

“I believe that Russia is doing everything it can to delay the process. Our American partners told me that Putin had invited me to Moscow. In my opinion, if someone wants the meeting to not take place, they should invite me to Moscow,” Zelensky said on Thursday.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainian authorities say they have foiled multiple alleged Russian plots to assassinate Zelensky.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Wednesday that Zelensky is ready to meet Putin “at any point of time,” but that the Russian leader “continues to mess around with everyone by making knowingly unacceptable proposals.”

“Right now, at least seven countries are ready to host a meeting between (the) leaders of Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to the war. Austria, the Holy See, Switzerland, Türkiye, and three Gulf states,” Sybiha wrote on social media.

“Only increased pressure can force Russia to finally get serious about (a) peace process,” he said.

Meanwhile, as Western countries maintain their attempts to end the war, Russia continues to attack its neighbor.

On Thursday, two humanitarian workers were killed after Russia carried out a missile strike on a demining site in northern Ukraine, according to the Danish Refugee Council, who was leading the mission.

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CNN’s Svitlana Vlasova, Victoria Butenko, Anna Chernova, Matthew Chance, Christian Edwards and Lauren Kent contributed to this report.