(Photo: Reuters)MOSCOW — Russia said on Thursday that any troops sent to Ukraine by Western governments would be "legitimate combat ‌targets", after Britain and France announced plans ​to deploy a multinational force there in the event of a ceasefire. A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said "militaristic declarations" by a coalition of pro-Ukraine Western governments were becoming increasingly dangerous. Law enforcement officers stand guard near the Spasskaya tower of the Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral during New Year celebrations in central Moscow, Russia, on Dec 31, 2025. Russia has consistently said that it will never accept the stationing of Western forces there. They say Ukraine needs firm security guarantees as part of any peace settlement to prevent another Russian invasion in future.

Source: Bangkok Post January 08, 2026 14:26 UTC