Russia's Foreign Ministry, citing Sergei Lavrov, warned that any deployment of foreign military forces or infrastructure inside Ukraine would be treated as foreign intervention and those forces would be considered legitimate targets. The statement specifically warned Western contingents — including potential German deployments — and framed such moves as a direct threat to Russian security. Washington is leading talks to end the conflict, with a second three-sided meeting due this week in the UAE, while Kyiv refuses to cede the entirety of Donbas to Moscow.
Russia Warns Foreign Troops In Ukraine Would Be 'Legitimate Targets,' Lavrov Says
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting at the ministry headquarters in Moscow, Russia, February 2, 2026. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS
MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) — Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that it would treat the deployment of any foreign military forces or related infrastructure inside Ukraine as foreign intervention and would consider such forces legitimate targets, citing Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The ministry released the remarks as part of a series of answers to questions posed to Lavrov and also commended U.S. President Donald Trump for what it described as his efforts to address the roots of the conflict.
"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.
The statement warned that Western states that have considered sending forces to Ukraine — reportedly to help secure any peace agreement — should recognise "that all foreign military contingents, including German ones, if deployed in Ukraine, will become legitimate targets for the Russian Armed Forces."
Diplomacy And Deadlock
The United States has led diplomatic efforts to convene talks aimed at ending the conflict. A second three-sided meeting with Russian and Ukrainian representatives is scheduled to take place this week in the United Arab Emirates, according to the ministry.
A major sticking point remains Moscow's demand that Kyiv cede internationally recognised Ukrainian territory to Russia. Kyiv rejects Russian calls to hand over the entirety of its Donbas region, including areas not under Moscow's control.
Broader Context
Moscow reiterated that it will not tolerate the presence of Western troops on Ukrainian soil and framed such deployments as a direct threat tied to NATO's eastward expansion. The ministry praised what it called the "purposeful efforts" of the Trump administration and said Trump understood Russia's long-standing security concerns about NATO and Western engagement with Ukraine.
(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Maxim Rodionov and Ron Popeski; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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