Vladimir Putin rejected the possibility of foreign troops being deployed in Ukraine after a potential ceasefire and reaffirmed Moscow’s claims to four Ukrainian regions. The Russian president made the statement during a meeting in the Kremlin with US President Donald Trump’s special envoys – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“The presence of any foreign troops on Ukrainian territory is absolutely unacceptable to us, because we believe that this threatens the security of the Russian Federation,” Putin said, as quoted by Interfax.
According to the Russian president, European troops sent to Ukraine after a peace deal would become legitimate targets for the Russian army. “This means that the war will resume immediately,” Putin said. He also described such a presence as a continuation of the conflict rather than a guarantee of lasting peace.
Moscow Is Not Backing Down from Its Territorial Demands
Putin said that Russia and Ukraine have different understandings of the issue of territories. He rejected the idea of “grey zones” and said that, for Moscow, there should be only one clear line – the state border.
An Associated Press report states that the Russian president presented the territory of the four Ukrainian regions that Russia declared annexed in 2022 as the future border with Ukraine. Moscow lays claim to Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, even though Russian forces do not fully control any of them.
Ukraine rejects the Russian annexations. Volodymyr Zelensky said that Kyiv would not hand over the occupied territories in exchange for peace.
After the Talks in Abu Dhabi
The meeting in the Kremlin took place after two days of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Abu Dhabi. According to the Associated Press, the negotiations did not produce a major breakthrough but concluded with an agreement on a large-scale prisoner exchange. The exact number of participants in the exchange has not yet been announced.
Washington and Kyiv are insisting that Europe be more actively involved in future peace and security talks. Moscow, however, does not want European countries to participate directly in the negotiations, accusing them of supporting Ukraine’s military efforts.
After meeting with Putin, Witkoff and Kushner departed for Dublin, where they were due to hold talks with Zelensky. The disagreement over foreign troops and territorial claims remains one of the main obstacles to reaching an agreement.
Sources: apnews.com, interfax.ru