“The deployment of European troops to Ukraine means war with Russia” — Putin

“Deployment of European troops into Ukraine means war with Russia” — Putin

The deployment of European countries' troops into the territory of Ukraine means the beginning of a war with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated this to journalists on the sidelines of the BRICS summit taking place in New Delhi.

“Now they say they are thinking about deploying troops into the territory of Ukraine. This means war with Russia,” Putin said.

The Russian president claimed that European countries are leading their nations into a military conflict with Moscow.

According to him, Russia has no grounds for conflict with Europe. Putin emphasized that all questions on this matter were resolved by the outcomes of World War II.

The Kremlin leader also stated that a portion of Europeans understand the consequences of the policies pursued by their governments. He linked the election results of the "Alternative for Germany" party in Germany to this process.

In January 2026, Ukraine, France, and Great Britain signed a declaration envisaging the possibility of deploying foreign forces to the territory of Ukraine after the end of the war. The document was adopted within the framework of the "Coalition of the Willing" summit held in Paris.

According to the plan, after a ceasefire, Great Britain and France may establish military centers on the territory of Ukraine and build protected facilities where weapons and equipment will be stored to support the Ukrainian army.

The French side stated that foreign forces would participate in training the Ukrainian army and deterring a potential new Russian attack. The initiative is planned to be implemented under the leadership of European countries, with organizational support from the United States.

Russia strongly opposed this. On January 8, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that any foreign military contingent deployed to Ukraine would be a "legitimate target" for the Russian army.

Two days later, French President Emmanuel Macron called on the country's parliament to approve the possibility of deploying French military personnel to Ukraine.

However, not all participants of the "Coalition of the Willing" are ready to send military forces to Ukraine. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that her country's troops would not be deployed to the territory of Ukraine. Within the coalition, it is established that each country will make an independent decision regarding the sending of troops.