As European leaders and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy engage in discussions with former President Trump in Paris, Russia has issued strong warnings regarding the presence of Western troops in Ukraine. President Putin has declared that any such troop deployment would be viewed as legitimate targets by Russia, dismissing Western security guarantees as unacceptable. Russia has reiterated its stance against foreign military presence in Ukraine, rejecting talks on foreign intervention and stating that security guarantees must include both Ukraine and Russia. NATO officials have, however, emphasized that it is not for Russia to decide on Western military involvement, aggravating the already high tensions in the region. The Kremlin considers the notion of international peacekeepers a threat, further complicating diplomatic efforts.