Moscow has previously warned that any foreign contingent entering the country would represent a legitimate target

Moscow firmly rejects NATO troops being deployed in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Tuesday following high-level talks with US officials in Riyadh.

During the meeting in Saudi Arabia, Moscow and Washington agreed to initiate a process for resolving the conflict. Ukraine and the EU were absent at the meeting, with Kiev insisting it won't recognize any outcome without its involvement.

Speaking to journalists after the talks, Lavrov emphasized that "the presence of armed forces from NATO countries, even under the EU flag or as part of national contingents, is completely unacceptable to us."

The Russian Foreign Ministry had previously warned that Moscow views any European peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine as a provocative step that could further escalate the conflict.

Several senior EU leaders, most notably French President Emmanuel Macron, have been floating the idea of sending military personnel to Ukraine since at least last February.

Last week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ruled out deploying American troops as part of potential security guarantees to Kiev.

Washington's policy shift has prompted an emergency meeting of America's European NATO allies, which was convened by Macron on Monday with the aim of establishing a unified EU stance. However, it has failed to yield any concrete results.

According to the Financial Times, there was a split among the EU countries, with Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain expressing a reluctance to send peacekeepers to Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz later called for NATO unity but dismissed questions regarding his country's potential troop commitments to Ukraine, calling them premature.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, however, claimed during the Munich Security Conference this weekend that the UK is "ready and willing" to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, including sending British troops.

In January, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky proposed the deployment of at least 200,000 foreign soldiers as peacekeepers in his country to enforce any potential peace agreement with Russia.

More recently, in an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, Zelensky said Ukraine had 980,000 military personnel in service. Last week, he stepped up his demands, telling Kiev's western backers that the country needs an army of some 1.5 million soldiers - a move that would require a 50% increase in funding.

Moscow has repeatedly warned that "any contingent entering the territory of Ukraine without the consent and permission of Russia is a military target, with quite understandable consequences."

(RT.com)