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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Putin says Western troops would be ‘legitimate targets’ if they are
in Ukraine
By Darya Tarasova and Catherine Nicholls, CNN
Updated:
9:02 AM EDT, Fri September 5, 2025
Source: CNN
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that any Western troops in
would be considered “legitimate targets for defeat,” a day after it
was announced that dozens of Western countries have pledged to
contribute to a there if a ceasefire deal is agreed.
“This is one of the root causes (of the war): trying to involve
Ukraine in NATO,” Putin said, speaking at an economic forum in
Russia’s Far East on Friday. “So if any troops appear there,
especially during the ongoing hostilities, we assume they will be
legitimate targets for defeat.”
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 26 countries
are “backing security guarantees” for his country “in different
formats.”
“We have agreed there will be presence,” he said, adding that how
this will look will depend on the country involved. “The presence is
different. It is in the sky, in the sea and on the ground,” he said.
Putin, however, suggested that if a ceasefire was agreed between his
country and Kyiv, then there would be no need for any third parties to
get involved.
“If decisions are reached that lead to long-term peace, then I simply
see no reason for their presence on Ukrainian territory,” he said.
“Because if such agreements are reached, let no one doubt that Russia
will fully implement them.”
Also on Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said security
guarantees should be provided both to Russia and Ukraine following an
end to the war, seemingly contradicting his boss.
“What was one of the root causes of this conflict? It was when the
foundations of security guarantees for our country began to be eroded,
when Ukraine was being drawn into NATO, and when NATO’s military
infrastructure began moving toward our borders,” Peskov said,
according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.
“Naturally, these guarantees, in the process of settlement, must be
provided to both us and the Ukrainians,” he continued.
Last month, Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov called on the West to
“think about” what it had to offer Russia regarding such
guarantees.
Russian officials frequently refer to what they say are “root
causes” of the conflict, which have previously included Ukraine’s
existence as a sovereign state and NATO’s eastward expansion since
the end of the Cold War.
The threat to target foreign peacekeeping forces in Ukraine is the
latest of Russia’s inflammatory statements regarding outside
involvement in the conflict.
Last September, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said
Moscow was adjusting its protocols for use of nuclear weapons in light
of enhanced Western support for Ukraine.
Putin’s comments also come at the end of what many saw as a positive
week for the Russian leader.
Standing with his Chinese and North Korean counterparts in Beijing,
Putin was able to show the world that, despite Western attempts to
isolate his country, he still has powerful allies.
Speaking from Beijing on Wednesday, the Russian leader said US
President Donald Trump had asked him to with Zelensky.
“Donald asked me if it was possible to hold such a meeting. I said
yes, it is possible. In the end, if Zelensky is ready, let him come to
Moscow. Such a meeting will take place,” Putin said.
He reiterated this call on Friday, promising to provide “security”
should Zelensky visit the Russian capital.
“The Ukrainian side wants this meeting and is proposing it,” Putin
said. “I said, ‘I am ready, please come. We will definitely provide
conditions for work and security. A hundred percent guarantee.’”
Kyiv dismissed the offer outright, accusing Russia of once again peace
efforts rather than working towards them.
“I believe that Russia is doing everything it can to delay the
process. Our American partners told me that Putin had invited me to
Moscow. In my opinion, if someone wants the meeting to not take place,
they should invite me to Moscow,” Zelensky said on Thursday.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainian authorities say
they have foiled multiple alleged to assassinate Zelensky.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Wednesday that Zelensky
is ready to meet Putin “at any point of time,” but that the Russian
leader “continues to mess around with everyone by making knowingly
unacceptable proposals.”
“Right now, at least seven countries are ready to host a meeting
between (the) leaders of Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to the war.
Austria, the Holy See, Switzerland, Türkiye, and three Gulf states,”
Sybiha wrote on social media.
“Only increased pressure can force Russia to finally get serious
about (a) peace process,” he said.
Meanwhile, as Western countries maintain their attempts to end the war,
Russia continues to attack its neighbor.
On Thursday, two humanitarian workers were killed after Russia carried
out a missile strike on a demining site in northern Ukraine, according
to the Danish Refugee Council, who was leading the mission.
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