After Sofia, the head of the European Council went to Kiev

The Russian president has rejected proposals from the Coalition of the Willing to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine after a possible ceasefire is agreed. Vladimir Putin threatened that any Western soldier who sets foot in the eastern European country would be considered a target for Russian forces.

“One of the main reasons for the war is the attempt to include Ukraine in NATO. So if troops appear there, especially during the ongoing hostilities, we assume that they will be legitimate targets for destruction,” Putin warned.

His reaction comes a day after another meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris. At the end of it, French leader Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 countries are ready to guarantee security in Ukraine by air, land and sea.

in the near future. He hinted that legal and technical obstacles created by the Ukrainian side make a ceasefire impossible.

"I have already said many times that I am ready to meet with Zelensky. But I don't see much point. You will ask me why? Well, because it will be practically impossible to reach an agreement with the Ukrainian side on key issues. Even if there is political will for them, which I doubt, there are legal and technical difficulties," he explained.

However, Putin reiterated his invitation to the Ukrainian president to meet in Moscow, a proposal he first made during his visit to China earlier this week. The president assured that his opponent's security would be guaranteed.

"The Ukrainian side wants this meeting and offers it. I say: I am ready, please come. We will definitely provide conditions for joint work and security. I guarantee it 100%," Putin explained.

Kiev rejected the proposal outright, accusing Russia of once again trying to delay peace efforts instead of working for them.

"I think Russia is doing everything possible to delay the process. Our American partners told me that Putin invited me to Moscow. In my opinion, if someone wants the meeting not to take place, they should invite me to Moscow," Zelensky commented.

He also described the decisions taken by the Coalition of the Willing as the first concrete step towards a ceasefire. Regarding the number of soldiers who would go to Ukraine, the president said: “It will certainly be thousands, not just a few hundred.”

Zelensky's remarks came on Friday after a meeting with European Council President Antonio Costa. Following his late visit to Sofia, he arrived in Ukraine to participate in an event dedicated to the resilience of Ukrainian municipalities and their recovery on the path to European integration.

During his visit, Costa announced that

delegation of EU representatives

will visit Washington to work with the US on further sanctions against Russia.

“We must force Putin to the negotiating table. Only great international pressure can make this a reality. We are ready to implement them. We are working with the United States and other partners who share our vision to increase pressure through further sanctions,” said Costa.

During the Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris, US President Donald Trump called on Europe to stop buying Russian oil in order to increase pressure on the Kremlin.

A White House official told Reuters that the Republican has also pushed for economic pressure on China for funding Russia's military efforts. On Friday, the US president hinted for the first time at a rift in relations with Moscow.

“It seems we have lost India and Russia to deep and dark China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!” he exclaimed.