Putin warns that European troop deployment in Ukraine would amount to 'war against Russia'

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday that a deployment of European troops on Ukrainian soil would be regarded by Moscow as 'a war against Russia,' according to statements reported by Le Monde.

Vladimir Putin also claimed that a Russian threat to Europe 'does not exist and never has existed,' thus dismissing concerns voiced by several European leaders about Moscow's intentions beyond Ukraine.

These statements come as several European countries have raised the possibility of deploying forces on Ukrainian territory as part of security guarantees being considered for Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire or peace agreement with Russia.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his American counterpart Donald Trump to impose 'right now' severe sanctions against Russia, though the precise details of this request were not further specified in the reported exchanges.

This sequence of public statements illustrates the persistence of tensions surrounding the conflict in Ukraine, as discussions continue among Western allies over potential security guarantees for Kyiv and the diplomatic and economic pressure to exert on Moscow.