Foreign troops in Ukraine before peace deal would be 'legitimate targets': Putin

Also dismissed the idea of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine after a final peace deal

- AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine before a peace agreement has been signed would be considered "legitimate targets" by Moscow's forces.

Putin's comments came hours after European leaders repledged their commitment to a potential peacekeeping force, a prospect that Moscow has repeatedly described as "unacceptable." "If any troops appear there, especially now while fighting is ongoing, we assume that they will be legitimate targets," he said during a panel at the Eastern Economic Forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok.