Russia has again hit Ukraine with a wave of missiles, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any foreign soldiers engaged in Ukraine will be considered a "legitimate target."
The Ukrainian air force said the country was hit by 91 Russian drones. No casualties were reported, but an investigation is underway. Putin's tough stance came as Kiev's Western allies met to agree on a force to guarantee Ukraine's security.
"If any soldiers appear there, especially now that the fighting is ongoing, we will consider them legitimate targets," Putin said at an economic forum held on September 5 in Vladivostok.
Putin's warning reveals his unwavering stance, which is why efforts to negotiate a peace agreement in Ukraine have been blocked by a summit held between Russian and American President Donald Trump in Alaska.
Putin's comments came just a day after a meeting of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" that pledged a "security force" for Ukraine, and after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to continue retaliating against Russian attacks on energy facilities, despite criticism from Slovakia and Hungary - both buyers of Russian oil.
In Vladivostok, Russia, Putin downplayed the importance of a meeting with Zelensky, but suggested he could meet him in just one place.
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"The best place is the Russian capital, the city of heroes, Moscow," Putin said. Zelensky and other Western officials have described the proposal as frivolous.
"I can't go to Moscow when my country is being attacked with missiles every day. I can't go to the capital of this terrorist. Putin understands this," Zelensky said.
These statements were made after several high-level meetings in China earlier this week, which made it clear to the Russian leader that he is not isolated on the world stage, despite the severance of ties with the West after the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
The US president has repeatedly expressed his frustration with Putin as he attempts to broker an end to the war. He has issued ultimatums and threatened to impose additional sanctions on Russia if a peace deal is not reached.
The war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Putin calls the war a “special military operation” to demilitarize Ukraine. The West has responded to Russia by hitting the country’s economy with harsh sanctions./REL
