Putin says European troop deployment in Ukraine would be ‘war against Russia’

President Vladimir Putin warned on Friday that any deployment of European troops to Ukraine would amount to “a war against Russia” and said Moscow did not “pose a threat”.

“At the moment, they say they are considering how to send troops onto Ukrainian territory. That means a war against Russia,” Russian news agencies quoted him as saying, referring to European leaders.

“We are not threatening and have no intention of threatening European countries. Why would we? No one even realises that we have no reason to enter into conflict with Europe,” he said.

He said European leaders “are frightening their populations with an imaginary threat coming from Russia”.

“This threat does not exist and has never existed,” he added.

Russia launched a large-scale offensive against Ukraine in February 2022 and has repeatedly said the deployment of Western troops on Ukrainian territory was a red line that must not be crossed.

Such a deployment has been discussed by European leaders for several years but has never materialised.

Russia justifies its assault on Ukraine citing what is says is a threat posed by Nato’s expansion to its borders, the Western military alliance that Kyiv aspires to join.