Putin threatened NATO troops in Ukraine, invited Zelensky for talks, and intensified strikes as Ukraine counterattacked.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that NATO and British peacekeeping troops deployed to Ukraine would be treated as “legitimate targets,” escalating tensions with the West.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin declared: “If any [Western] troops appear there, especially now during military operations, we proceed from the fact that these will be legitimate targets for their destruction.” His remarks came a day after 26 countries met in Paris to discuss sending peacekeepers to Ukraine if a ceasefire is reached.
While Moscow insists it would honor peace agreements, critics point to Russia’s repeated violations of past treaties. Putin also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold talks in Moscow, promising “100 per cent” security.
Meanwhile, Russia launched fresh drone and missile strikes on Ukraine, targeting ten locations. Ukrainian forces retaliated by hitting a Russian oil refinery in Ryazan and an ammunition depot in occupied Luhansk.