Russia Says Western Troops Sent to Ukraine Would Be Legitimate Targets

On Jan. 6, the UK and France signed a letter of intent to send troops to Ukraine in the event a peace deal is reached.Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 14, 2025. Reuters/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo1/8/2026|Updated: 1/8/2026Russia said on Jan. 8 that it would view any Western troops deployed in Ukraine as legitimate targets.The comments come after the UK and France signed a letter of intent to send members of their armed forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal to guard against any potential future aggression from Moscow.Guy Birchall is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories with a particular interest in freedom of expression and social issues.Author’s Selected Articles