Red Alert: Putin Declares Open Season on Any Western Troops Sent to Ukraine

A red alert has been sounded across Western capitals after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared it would be open season on any foreign military forces deployed to Ukraine. His statement that such troops would be “legitimate targets” is a direct threat intended to scuttle a French-led plan for Kyiv’s postwar security.
The plan, which President Emmanuel Macron announced has the backing of 26 countries, would see an international contingent stationed in Ukraine to prevent future conflicts. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has eagerly embraced the proposal, indicating that a force of “thousands” would be necessary. Putin’s response transforms this protective concept into a potential trigger for a wider war.
This hardline stance from Russia is specifically designed to exploit and widen the existing cracks in the Western coalition. While France pushes forward, nations like Germany, Spain, and Italy are recoiling from the idea of troop deployment, fearing a direct confrontation with a nuclear-armed Russia. This hesitation has already forced a downgrade of the mission’s scope.
The entire conversation is taking place in a diplomatic vacuum. There is no active peace process, and the conditions for one do not exist. Putin has all but dismissed the possibility of a negotiated settlement, and Zelenskyy remains deeply distrustful of Moscow’s intentions. The result is a dangerous stalemate where military threats are drowning out any faint calls for peace.