Russia opposes European troops in Ukraine under Trump-backed security guarantees, Lavrov says

Sending European troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees would amount to "foreign military intervention," which Moscow won't support, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Aug. 21.

Lavrov's comments come as European leaders accelerate negotiations on a package of security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace deal to end Russia's war. President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded binding assurances from allies to prevent Russia from launching another invasion of Ukraine.

Bloomberg reported on Aug. 19 that the package of security guarantees for Ukraine might be finalized this week. European officials have reportedly discussed sending British and French troops to Ukraine, along with contingents from roughly 10 other countries.

Lavrov reiterated that the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine is unacceptable to Moscow, adding that Russia supports the "principles of security guarantees" agreed upon during the unsuccessful Istanbul meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in 2022.

Leaked documents from 2022 show that Moscow’s first peace offer amounted to Ukraine’s effective surrender.

"The intentions (of the West and Ukraine) are essentially about providing guarantees through foreign military intervention on some part of Ukrainian territory," Lavrov claimed.

Previously, he said that security guarantees for Ukraine can't be discussed without Russia's participation.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Aug. 18 that guarantees would not involve NATO membership but instead rely on a strong Ukrainian army backed by commitments from the Coalition of the Willing, which includes over 30 countries.

European officials told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 19 that a series of meetings among the countries participating in the Coalition of the Willing could take place in the coming days to work out the details.

U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News on Aug. 19 that Washington could provide air support as part of the guarantees but ruled out deploying U.S. ground troops.