Russia Rejects NATO Troops as Kyiv’s Allies Discuss Security Guarantees

Ukraine’s Western allies are set to gather in Paris on Thursday to map out a framework for deterring future Russian aggression should a peace deal eventually be reached.

But Moscow has again signaled its opposition. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, dismissed the proposals under discussion.

“These are not security guarantees for Ukraine, but a guarantee of insecurity on the European continent,” she said, insisting that Russia would not accept the deployment of NATO troops to monitor any potential ceasefire.

Zakharova added that “Russia will not discuss deeply unacceptable foreign intervention in Ukraine that undermines security.”

The Paris meeting, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. (0800 GMT), brings together the “Coalition of the Willing” — about 30 countries working on long-term security assurances for Kyiv once the war, launched by Moscow in February 2022, comes to an end.

Proposals under review include reinforcing Ukraine’s armed forces and offering political and military commitments in case Russia launches another attack. A key sticking point is whether foreign partners might station ground troops inside Ukraine or along its borders.

Russia, meanwhile, has suggested that only the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — including itself — serve as guarantors, a model that would effectively give Moscow veto power over future interventions.

President Vladimir Putin has also shown little appetite for compromise, warning on Wednesday that the fighting would continue if no agreement acceptable to Moscow is reached.