Putin says any Western troops in Ukraine would be fair targets

Service members of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attend a military drill near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine August 30, 2025. Andriy Andriyenko/Press Service of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that any Western troops deployed to Ukraine would be legitimate targets for Moscow to attack, in a warning to Kyiv's allies as they discuss measures for its future protection.

Putin was speaking a day after French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 countries had pledged to provide postwar security guarantees to Ukraine, including an international force on land, sea and in the air.