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Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Tuesday that any Western military force deployed in Ukraine would be a "legitimate" target for Moscow's military.
"If troops appear there, especially now during the fighting, we proceed on the assumption that they will be legitimate targets," Putin said in a speech at the Eastern Economic Forum in the city of Vladivostok, a day after Kiev's Western allies pledged to send troops in the event of a peace deal.
"There will be no need for the deployment of Western troops on Ukrainian territory once a long-term peace agreement is reached. If decisions are made that will lead to long-term peace, then I simply see no reason for their presence there," Putin said.
Putin has identified Moscow as the best place for a possible meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Next time, if someone really wants to meet with us, we are ready. The best place for this is the capital of the Russian Federation, the hero city of Moscow," the Russian president said during a discussion following his speech at the Eastern Economic Forum.
At the same time, he stressed that Russia is ready to provide security guarantees to Zelensky and Kiev representatives if they decide to come to the Russian capital, but noted that he himself does not expect anything substantial from such a meeting.
The Russian leader also described demands to hold a meeting at the locations proposed by Kiev as "excessive."
“They tell us 'we want to meet with you, but you have to go there, to that place'. It seems to me that what they are asking of us is simply too much ,” the Russian president said.
Meanwhile, a day ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is necessary, but according to him, it should not take place in Moscow.
The "deal" with Trump
The Russian president said he has an agreement with US President Donald Trump to communicate with each other when necessary.
"We have an open dialogue with Trump, there is an agreement that, if necessary, we can communicate, contact, talk. He knows that I am open to these conversations. And I know that he is too," he said.
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