Putin Says Foreign Troops in Ukraine After a Cease-Fire Would Be Unacceptable

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, Nov. 12, that Russia would not accept foreign troops being deployed in Ukraine after a possible cease-fire. He made the remarks during a meeting in Russia with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who traveled to Moscow to discuss a way to end the war, which has lasted more than four years.

The talks continued negotiations begun by the United States in Abu Dhabi, where officials from Russia and the United States met with Ukrainian representatives to discuss a possible resolution. Putin reiterated Moscow’s position on foreign forces and thanked the United States for its efforts to mediate the discussions. He said Russia considers such a deployment a threat to its security.

Putin said European countries know Russia’s position and that, in his account, they have said they would send troops to Ukraine immediately after a peace agreement. He warned that Moscow would regard such a deployment as a legitimate target and that fighting would resume immediately. His comments underscored the gap between the Russian position and proposals involving a foreign military presence after a cease-fire.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The two countries resumed cease-fire discussions this week, with the United States acting as mediator. Putin said the negotiations had made progress on humanitarian issues and that the countries had agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war.

Witkoff and Kushner also emphasized the need for European participation in the cease-fire talks. Kushner said he saw a strong desire in Europe to end the conflict and to ensure that any end to the fighting was followed by a long period of peace. He said the envoys wanted to work with Russian, Ukrainian and European parties to bring the conflict to an end.

Tensions in Europe have risen as the war continues and European pressure on Moscow persists. Russian attacks in other European countries have also been reported in recent weeks, adding to concern that the conflict could spread beyond Ukraine. After their meeting at the Kremlin, Witkoff and Kushner said they would travel to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.