Putin calls foreign troops in Ukraine a 'legitimate target' for Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said foreign troops in Ukraine would always be a "legitimate target" for Russian forces, rejecting European peacekeepers as a security guarantee. He made the statement during a meeting with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Thursday. Putin called the presence of any foreign troops in Ukraine "absolutely unacceptable" and a threat to Russia's security, saying their deployment would be seen as "continuation of the war." He urged American diplomats to work with European nations on the issue. Putin also indicated he is not ready for a ceasefire along the current front line, insisting on Russia's claimed borders of four annexed Ukrainian regions. The 2.5-hour talks ended with Witkoff seeing "progress," following trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi that yielded a prisoner exchange agreement.