Russian President Vladimir Putin is not taken by the idea of having Western forces in Ukraine and said they would be viewed as a threat and "legitimate targets," DW reports.
"If some troops appear there, especially now, during military operations, we proceed from the fact that these will be legitimate targets for destruction," Putin told an economic forum in Vladivostok.
"If decisions are reached that lead to peace, to long-term peace, then I simply do not see any sense in their presence on the territory of Ukraine, full stop," Putin said.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has illegally annexed and occupied Crimea since 2014.
Thursday saw 26 countries pledge force deployments as part of post-war security guarantees that would include international forces on land, sea and air.
Putin has argued that NATO expansion has been one of the main reasons why it invaded Ukraine, viewing the alliance's expansion to the east as a threat to Russian security.
"NATO’s attempt to find a way to Ukraine presents a threat to our country. That is why we view the presence of foreign armed forces, of NATO troops on the Ukrainian soil, near our borders, as a threat," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in comments reported by state-run TASS news agency.
"This is a threat to us because NATO views Russia as its enemy, and this is reflected in its documents. We cannot allow this to happen. And we will do everything that should be done to ensure our security," Peskov said.
