The Kremlin has adopted an uncompromisingly hard line on the issue of foreign military presence in Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin warning of “destruction” for any Western troops deployed there. This threat to treat such forces as “legitimate targets” is a direct assault on a European-led security initiative.
The initiative, which French President Emmanuel Macron has successfully rallied 25 other nations to support, proposes a multinational force to safeguard Ukraine’s future. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced his hope for a large contingent. Putin’s statement is a clear attempt to make the political cost of this plan too high for the West to bear.
Moscow’s position is designed to exploit the West’s fear of direct conflict. It has already led to public refusals from key countries like Germany and Italy to commit their soldiers, exposing a critical lack of unity. This has forced the plan’s architects to revise their ambitions downward.
This aggressive rhetoric comes as diplomatic avenues remain closed. The peace process is stagnant, with Putin himself calling a negotiated settlement “practically impossible.” His offer of a meeting with Zelenskyy in Moscow is viewed by Ukraine as a propaganda move, not a serious step toward ending the war.