Russia leaves room for talks on foreign forces in Ukraine

The Kremlin has signaled its willingness to discuss a possible deployment of Western troops to Ukraine, despite its long-standing opposition to such a move.

The TASS news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russia’s position on the stationing of foreign forces was “well-known, consistent and clear” – but could nonetheless be “a topic for discussion.”

The proposal resurfaced in discussions in Berlin this week involving U.S., European and Ukrainian officials.

The idea under discussion is to deploy a multinational force in Ukraine after the conclusion of a ceasefire, with the mandate to monitor its compliance. kyiv has described such a force as part of the security guarantees it seeks to prevent another Russian attack.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sounded the alarm last week, warning that peacekeeping troops stationed in Ukraine could become “legitimate targets.”

President Vladimir Putin has also justified the war as necessary to prevent Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the presence of troops from the alliance that Moscow considers hostile.