Headlines
Russia says foreign forces in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets'
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on February 2, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 2, 2026
Quick Summary
Russia sees foreign military in Ukraine as threats, marking them as targets. Moscow stresses NATO expansion concerns amid ongoing peace talks.
Russia Declares Foreign Military Forces in Ukraine as Legitimate Targets
Russia's Response to Foreign Military Presence
MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Russia would regard the deployment of any foreign military forces or infrastructure in Ukraine as foreign intervention and treat those forces as legitimate targets, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday, citing Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Moscow's View on Western Military Deployment
The ministry's comment, one of many it said were in response to questions put to Lavrov, also praised U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts at working for a resolution of the war and said he understood the fundamental reasons behind the conflict.
Implications for Peace Talks
"The deployment of military units, facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure of Western countries in Ukraine is unacceptable to us and will be regarded as foreign intervention posing a direct threat to Russia's security," the ministry said on its website.
Historical Context of NATO Expansion
It said Western countries - which have discussed a possible deployment to Ukraine to help secure any peace deal - had to understand "that all foreign military contingents, including German ones, if deployed in Ukraine, will become legitimate targets for the Russian Armed Forces".
The United States has spearheaded efforts to hold talks aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine and a second three-sided meeting with Russian and Ukrainian representatives is to take place this week in the United Arab Emirates.
The issue of ceding internationally recognised Ukrainian territory to Russia remains a major stumbling block. Kyiv rejects Russian calls for it to give up all of its Donbas region, including territory Moscow's forces have not captured.
Moscow has repeatedly said it will not tolerate the presence in Ukraine of troops from Western countries.
The ministry said Moscow valued the "purposeful efforts" of the Trump administration in working towards a resolution and understanding Russia's long-running concerns about NATO's eastward expansion and its overtures to Ukraine.
It described Trump as "one of the few Western politicians who not only immediately refused to advance meaningless and destructive preconditions for starting a substantive dialogue with Moscow on the Ukrainian crisis, but also publicly spoke about its root causes".
(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Maxim Rodionov and Ron Popeski; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Key Takeaways
- •Russia considers foreign military in Ukraine as threats.
- •Lavrov emphasizes NATO expansion concerns.
- •Trump's efforts in peace talks are acknowledged by Russia.
- •Western military presence in Ukraine is unacceptable to Moscow.
- •Peace talks continue with major territorial disputes.
Frequently Asked Questions about Russia says foreign forces in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets'
1What is foreign intervention?
Foreign intervention refers to the involvement of one country in the affairs of another, often through military presence or support, which can lead to conflicts or escalated tensions.
2What is NATO?
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance of countries from North America and Europe established for mutual defense against aggression.
3What is military deployment?
Military deployment refers to the movement of armed forces and equipment to a specific location for operational purposes, often in response to a conflict or crisis.
4What is foreign military presence?
Foreign military presence refers to the stationing of military forces from one country in another country, often for purposes of support, defense, or intervention.
