Putin claims that Russia would view foreign forces in Ukraine as "legitimate targets

 

An executive order signed by Donald Trump gives the government the authority to place travel restrictions and sanctions on any nation that detains US nationals and that it identifies as a "state sponsor of wrongful detention."

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Friday that any foreign troops that show up on Ukrainian soil, particularly prior to a ceasefire agreement, will be viewed by his nation's military as "legitimate targets."

His comments followed European leaders' announcement at a conference in Paris on Thursday that they had completed a plan detailing possible postwar security assurances for Ukraine.

One of the main justifications for Ukraine's membership in NATO is the potential presence of armed forces in the country. Putin responded to questions at the Eastern Economic Forum plenary session in the Russian port of Vladivostok on Friday, saying, "Therefore, if any troops appear there, especially now, during the course of hostilities, we assume that they will be legitimate targets for their destruction."

"And if decisions are reached that will lead to peace, to a long-term peace, then I simply do not see any point in their presence on the territory of Ukraine," he said.

After the meeting in Paris on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 nations had indicated they were willing to act directly on possible postwar security assurances for Ukraine. According to Macron, a number of nations are willing to provide assistance "on land, in the sea, or in the air" in order to "reassure the people of Ukraine and maintain the ceasefire once it's implemented, and maintain and guarantee peace."

"The plan will now be taken to the U.S. with the intention of formalizing it in the coming days," Macron stated on Thursday.

The possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine as a deterrent to Russia has not yet been considered "with us at a serious level," Putin stated on Friday.