President Vladimir Putin warned that any Western troops sent to Ukraine during the war would be treated as legitimate targets by Russia, Reuters reported.
His comments came after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 nations had agreed to provide postwar security guarantees to Kyiv, including a possible international force.
Putin said Russia’s invasion was driven by the need to block NATO’s presence in Ukraine, stressing that foreign soldiers deployed now would be “targets for destruction.” He added that if peace is reached, there would be no justification for outside military forces in the country.
