Troops will be 'target'

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

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His comments came hours after European leaders pledged again their commitment to a potential peacekeeping force. Speaking during a panel at the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok, Mr Putin said: “If any troops appear there, especially now while fighting is ongoing, we assume that they will be legitimate targets.”

Mr Putin also dismissed the idea of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine after a final peace deal, saying “no one should doubt” that Moscow would comply with a treaty to halt its three-and-a-half year full-scale invasion of its neighbour.