Foreign troops on Ukrainian soil cannot serve as a security guarantee and would be seen by Moscow as a threat, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sept. 5. at the Eastern Economic Forum
His remarks come as Europe intensifies talks on security guarantees for Kyiv in case of a ceasefire or peace deal, with proposals to send foreign troops to prevent another possible Russian invasion.
"Can Ukraine's security guarantees be ensured and provided by foreign, especially European and American, military contingents? Definitely not, they cannot," Peskov said in Vladivostok.
"You cannot guarantee the security of one country by undermining the security of another. We would recognize it as a threat to ourselves — the presence of international forces, or any foreign forces, or NATO forces on Ukrainian soil, near our border."
His comments followed the Sept. 4 Paris summit of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing," where President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders discussed a possible security framework.
French President Emmanuel Macron said after the meeting that 26 countries are ready to send troops or contribute other support as part of the guarantees.
The European-led coalition has proposed deploying a multinational reassurance force alongside commitments of weapons, logistics, and training.
Macron stressed the guarantees would not amount to NATO membership but rely on a strong Ukrainian military backed by more than 30 partners.
The Paris meeting followed White House talks on Aug. 18, when European leaders pressed U.S. President Donald Trump to join the effort. Trump later said Washington could provide air support but ruled out deploying U.S. ground troops.
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