At a number of points during his remarks to the Eastern Economic Forum today, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the matter of resolving the conflict against Ukraine, and in particular the topic of security guarantees. He stressed, among other things, that Ukraine’s safety issues cannot be resolved without considering Russia’s security, reported TASS. “Although every country has the right to choose how to ensure its own security, such issues cannot be resolved without looking at Russia’s safety,” the President said. Putin also cited the common rule, found in various European documents, that “The security of one country cannot be ensured at the expense of another.”
“If decisions are reached that lead to long-term peace, then I simply see no point in their [Western troops’] presence on Ukrainian territory,” he said. But if foreign troops are deployed to Ukraine, they’ll become targets. “As regards any potential stationing of troop contingents in Ukraine, this was one of the root causes for dragging Ukraine into NATO. Therefore, if any troops are present there, especially now, amid warfare, we assume that these will be legitimate targets to be struck,” Putin said.
