Russia warns coalition of willing forces in Ukraine would be 'legitimate military targets'

Russia on Tuesday warned that the military contingents from the so-called "coalition of the willing" in Ukraine would be "legitimate military targets" if stationed there.

Commenting on remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron about plans for deploying forces in Ukraine at a press briefing in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called this possible move "unacceptable."

"In this context, we would like to once again emphasize that the deployment in Ukraine of any military contingents from the so-called coalition of the willing is unacceptable for our country," she stressed.

Zakharova added: "This would, I repeat, de facto amount to foreign intervention and an increase in threats to Russia's security. Such units will be regarded by us as legitimate military targets."

The official also said that Western arms deliveries remained one of the main obstacles to a settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.

She referred to previous remarks by former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who said the conflict would have ended "within days, weeks, or a month" if Europe stopped arms supplies to Ukraine.

"If the Western Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe participating states genuinely want to end the confrontation, which is draining the resources of their own taxpayers, they simply need to stop supplying weapons to the Kyiv regime," she said.

The spokeswoman urged Europe to "stop hiding behind talk of peace and openly admit that they want only one thing—aggression."

Zakharova also said that Western-supplied weapons had been used against Russian civilians and warned that some of the arms had entered illicit circulation.

"Such cases have already been documented," she said, adding that weapons had allegedly surfaced not only in Europe but also in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

Separately, Zakharova criticized military exercises conducted by Poland near the borders with Russia and Belarus, describing them as an attempt to "flex its muscles."

She said the drills, held on July 13-14, reflected what she called Warsaw's desire to strengthen its position as "the leader of Eastern Europe" and "the main bastion of NATO's eastern flank."

"The intensification of Poland's military activity near the borders of Russia and Belarus once again demonstrates the complete irresponsibility of the Polish elite," Zakharova said.