Milan, 5 September (LaPresse) – NATO troops, should they appear in Ukraine, would become legitimate targets for the Russian army. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the plenary session of the East Economic Forum, as reported by Tass. "As for possible military contingents in Ukraine, this is one of the main reasons for drawing Ukraine into NATO. Therefore, if any troops appear there, especially now, during military operations, we will assume that they are legitimate targets to be destroyed,‘ Putin said. He also rejected the idea of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine after a final peace agreement, stressing that ’no one should doubt" that Moscow will respect a treaty to end its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin leader added that security guarantees will be necessary for both Russia and Ukraine. The Russian leader's statements follow remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced yesterday after a meeting of the so-called coalition of the willing that 26 countries have committed to security guarantees for Ukraine.
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