Russian president Vladimir Putin has said any western peacekeepers in Ukraine would be “legitimate targets” for attack, as he all but ruled out talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy despite repeated US calls for a peace summit.
The Republic and several other European nations have said they might take part in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if it became feasible under a peace deal. Air support and other backup from the United States are also regarded as vital to the viability of any such mission, and Washington is yet to give a green light to that.
Mr Putin issued his starkest warning yet over Russia’s attitude to peacekeepers in Ukraine, just a day after France said 26 countries, most of them in Europe, had offered to play a role in a “reassurance force” for Kyiv on land, sea and in the air.
“If any troops appear there, especially now during military operations, we will proceed from the fact that they will be legitimate targets for destruction,” said the Russian president on Friday.
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A day earlier, Nato secretary general Mark Rutte insisted that Russia “has nothing to do with” questions about western peacekeepers in Ukraine: “It’s a sovereign country, it’s not for them to decide,” he said.
Mr Putin also claimed that there would be no need for a protection force in Ukraine if a peace deal was reached, because Russia could be trusted to keep its word – despite having told the world, right up to the start of invading Ukraine in February 2022, that it had no intention of launching such an attack.
“If decisions are reached that lead to long-term peace, then I simply see no point in their presence on Ukrainian territory,” he said of western peacekeepers.
“If these agreements are reached, let no one doubt, Russia will fully honour them. We will respect those security guarantees that, certainly, must be established for both Russia and Ukraine.”
Ukraine says it is ready for peace talks with Russia at the highest level, but must first know what security guarantees will be provided by western allies in the event of a deal to end Europe’s most severe conflict since 1945.
A so-called coalition of the willing involving more than 30 states is discussing security guarantees, including peacekeeping options, with the US. No country has said how many troops or other resources it might provide to a peacekeeping force.
“I will not talk about the exact number, but what is important is that we are discussing all of this,” said Mr Zelenskiy after talks with European Council president Antonio Costa in western Ukraine. “It will definitely not be in single digits, but in the thousands. And that is a fact, though it is still a little too early to talk about it.”
Kyiv and other European capitals are frustrated by US president Donald Trump’s failure to follow up on threats to exert more pressure on Mr Putin over his continued refusal to call a ceasefire and agree to direct talks with Mr Zelenskiy.
The Kremlin says many issues must be resolved before top-level talks could take place, and Mr Putin said on Friday he would only meet Mr Zelenskiy in Moscow, while repeating suggestions that the Ukrainian leader lacked legitimacy.
“I have reiterated many times that I am open to dialogue with Zelenskiy,” said Mr Putin. “However, I doubt it would be productive. Why? Because achieving an agreement on crucial matters is virtually impossible at the moment. There is a lack of political will – and even if it exists, which I doubt – legal and technical obstacles stand in the way.”
