The Kremlin has dismissed proposals to station foreign troops in Ukraine as part of post-war security guarantees, warning that Western forces cannot provide Kyiv’s protection.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday: “Can Ukraine’s security guarantees be ensured and provided by foreign, especially European and American, military contingents? Definitely not, they cannot,” according to Russian state media.
His remarks followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that 26 Western allies had pledged to support Ukraine “by land, sea or air” once a ceasefire is achieved. The commitment, unveiled after a summit of 35 nations known as the “Coalition of the Willing,” is expected to include eventual US backing. President Donald Trump has suggested American support would “probably” involve air power.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he had discussed “maximum protection for Ukraine’s skies” with Trump. But optimism for a breakthrough dimmed after Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month, with Moscow continuing its military operations despite ceasefire talks.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the coalition’s vow as an “unbreakable pledge,” while NATO chief Mark Rutte said Russia had “no veto” over the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine. European diplomats, however, cautioned that pre-emptive commitments risk fueling Putin’s anti-Western narrative.
On the ground, violence persisted Thursday as two mine-clearers were killed in a Russian strike in northern Ukraine.
Putin has rejected calls for a temporary ceasefire, insisting only a full peace agreement can end the war. Zelensky dismissed Putin’s invitation for talks in Moscow as “unacceptable,” arguing it showed Russia was not serious about negotiations.
Western officials are considering historical precedents, including the Korean armistice, as pressure builds to secure a truce without a comprehensive peace deal.
