Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Western plans to deploy a “reassurance force” to Ukraine following a potential ceasefire, warning that any foreign troops sent would be treated as “legitimate targets.” His comments came after a Paris summit where French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 of Ukraine’s allies had pledged to provide security support by land, sea, or air once fighting stops. However, he did not specify which countries would take part.
Putin rejected the proposal outright, saying that even the prospect of such deployments risked escalating the conflict. He also expressed doubt over engaging with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming meaningful agreements on key issues were unlikely.
Prospects for peace remain uncertain despite last month’s Alaska meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump, which had briefly raised hopes of negotiations with Kyiv. Since then, the UK and France have led efforts to design a security framework for Ukraine, which includes military support and a reassurance force tasked with safeguarding any deal.
Macron stressed the proposed force would not engage Russia directly but instead act as a deterrent to “any new major aggression.” The French leader underscored that the mission’s role would be defensive, not offensive, aiming to uphold a ceasefire rather than wage war.
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