Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned:
that any foreign military presence in Ukraine would be treated as legitimate targets for Russian s
trikes.
Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, he stated, “We assume that the forces will be legal targets for strikes,” adding there is no sense in deploying troops if a peace agreement exists. Putin reiterated that Moscow remains open to talks but expressed skepticism about Kiev’s intentions. He labeled Ukraine’s leadership as a “regime” and said no progress can be made without agreement on key issues. Any negotiated settlement, he insisted, must be confirmed through a referendum in affected areas, even if that challenges the Ukrainian constitution’s authority.