Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has strongly rejected any idea of NATO troops being stationed in Ukraine after a possible peace deal. The warning came after talks at the highest political level with the US on Tuesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in which Ukraine and the EU did not participate. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has claimed that they do not recognize agreements reached without their involvement, while the country appears to be heading towards an increasingly obvious war defeat.
During the meeting in Saudi Arabia, Russia and the US agreed to start a process of conflict resolution. However, Lavrov stressed to journalists that the presence of armed forces from NATO countries – whether acting under the EU flag or as national representatives – is "completely unacceptable" to Moscow.
Russia has previously warned that foreign troops in Ukraine will be seen as "legitimate targets".
Within the EU, disagreement continues. French President Emmanuel Macron has been pushing the issue of military forces in Ukraine since February last year, but recent meetings have not led to concrete decisions. According to RT, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain oppose the idea. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called discussions on troop deployments "premature" while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer claimed during the Munich Security Conference that the country is prepared to provide security guarantees, including troop deployment.
Lavrov: NATO or EU troops in Ukraine are unacceptable
"The presence of troops from NATO countries, whether under foreign flags, EU flags, or their own national flags, does not change anything. This is, of
course, unacceptable to us," Lavrov— Tymofiy Mylovanov (@Mylovanov) February 18, 2025
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov declared that deploying armed NATO troops under any flag in Ukraine—be it EU, national, or otherwise—remains unacceptable to Russia, regardless of the banner they fly. pic.twitter.com/ZQvDp8wjIs
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 18, 2025
According to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, sending US troops has been ruled out. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelensky has called for at least 200,000 foreign troops as peacekeepers. Last week, he stepped up his demands further, calling for a Ukrainian army of 1.5 million soldiers – a 50% increase that would require significant financial support from Western countries. This is despite the fact that it is well known that the country's recruitment base has been virtually wiped out after three years of heavy losses.
Russia has repeatedly warned that any foreign military presence in Ukraine without Moscow's approval will be met with military resistance. "With quite understandable consequences", said Lavrov.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts are underway to find a solution to the war, with EU countries criticizing the US for unilateral negotiations with Russia.
