Vladimir Putin has effectively told the West that sending even a single soldier to Ukraine would be considered an act of war. His warning that any foreign troops would become “legitimate targets for destruction” is a stark and unambiguous red line drawn in response to a European plan for Kyiv’s security.
The plan, which French President Emmanuel Macron has been promoting, involves a 26-nation coalition pledging to deploy a military force to protect Ukraine after the conflict. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has embraced the idea of a significant presence. Putin’s threat, however, is a clear statement that Russia would meet any such deployment with military force.
The Russian leader is banking on the West’s aversion to risk. Many of Kyiv’s most important partners, including Germany, have already stated they will not send troops, fearing the potential for an all-out conflict. This has forced a significant moderation of the initial, more ambitious proposals.
This confrontation is playing out against the backdrop of a completely frozen peace process. There are no negotiations, and the leaders of Russia and Ukraine remain fundamentally opposed. Putin’s public dismissal of a diplomatic solution leaves little room for optimism about a peaceful end to the war.