Western military personnel stationed in Ukraine could face Russian attacks, according to Putin's warning

The conflict in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people. President Vladimir Putin of Russia and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continue to hold opposing views on the deployment of an international "reassurance force" to the region.

President Putin believes such a force is not conducive to long-term peace and considers Ukraine's closer military ties with the West as one of the root causes of the conflict. He has stated that any Western forces deployed to Ukraine would be "legitimate" targets for Russia's army.

On the other hand, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that 26 countries have formally committed to deploy as a "reassurance force" in Ukraine. This force, led by France and Britain, has pledged to join and patrol any agreement to end the war in Ukraine. The ground troops would not be deployed "on the front line", Macron said, but be there in a bid to "prevent any new major aggression".

However, there are few signs Kyiv and Moscow are close to striking a deal. Kyiv has ruled out Putin's demands for territorial concessions as "old ultimatums". Ukraine's allies have not disclosed specific details about the peacekeeping force, such as troop numbers and country contributions. Ukrainian President Zelensky has stated that there is an agreement for "thousands" of troops, but did not provide a specific figure.

Moscow, on the other hand, is calling for Ukraine to cede more territory and wants international recognition of regions captured and occupied by its forces as part of Russia. The Kremlin leader earlier this week said his troops were advancing across the entire front line and that he would continue to fight if a peace deal was not reached.

The situation has led to a divided response from countries. Some have declared their readiness to contribute to a "peacekeeping force" on land, sea, and air to patrol Ukraine in case of a ceasefire, with Germany specifically prepared to provide financial support, armament, and training for Ukrainian forces, pending clarification of conditions and the roles of other countries such as the USA. However, some countries have not yet taken a position on their participation.

Ukraine's allies, including the USA, have accused Putin of paying only lip-service to the idea of halting his offensive, trying to play for time and keep US President Donald Trump engaged while his troops capture more territory. Foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy in Kyiv has criticized Putin's rejection of the deployment, stating that Putin does not have the authority to decide on troops in Ukraine.

As diplomatic efforts continue, the Standard ePaper App is available for download to stay updated on the latest developments in this ongoing conflict.