LONDON — Russia’s Overseas Ministry once more warned that Moscow is not going to settle for the presence of any Western troops in Ukraine as a part of a future peace deal, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ready to fulfill a bunch of high European leaders in Paris on Thursday.
“Russia doesn’t intend to debate unacceptable overseas intervention in Ukraine in any type in any way,” spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated in feedback revealed by the Overseas Ministry on Thursday. “Western struggle instigators view Ukraine as a testing floor for his or her army developments,” she stated.
Moscow has repeatedly rebuffed proposals for Western forces to be deployed to Ukraine in any capability as a part of a deal to finish Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, which started in February 2022.
Nonetheless, the prospect continues to be beneath dialogue by NATO leaders and the Ukrainian authorities as a component of the safety ensures Kyiv says are wanted to facilitate any U.S.-brokered peace deal.
Zakharova stated Thursday that the protections beneath dialogue “usually are not safety ensures for Ukraine, they’re ensures of risk to the European continent.”
European leaders meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron at The Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Sept. 4, 2025.
Ludovic Marin/POOL/AFP through Getty Photos
Zelenskyy will collect with European leaders — the so-called “Coalition of the Keen” — for additional talks in Paris on Thursday. The group will then converse with U.S. President Donald Trump nearly at round 8 a.m. ET, in response to a schedule revealed by French President Emmanuel Macron’s workplace.
Macron welcomed the Ukrainian chief to the Élysée Palace — which homes the presidential workplace — on Wednesday.
“We’re prepared as Europeans to supply safety ensures to Ukraine and the Ukrainian folks, the day a peace deal is signed,” Macron stated whereas standing alongside Zelenskyy.
“The contributions that had been ready, documented and confirmed this afternoon on the stage of the protection ministers in an especially confidential method enable me to say the preparatory work is full,” he added. The measures the pair mentioned on Wednesday weren’t instantly detailed.
“It’ll now be endorsed politically, and it permits us to take action in a stable method, and we are going to come again to you tomorrow, after these conferences and discussions, to say that we’re prepared for a strong, lasting peace for Ukraine and for the Europeans,” Macron stated.
Zelenskyy stated that, though “now we have not obtained any indicators from Russia that it actually desires to finish this struggle,” he was “satisfied” {that a} shut union with Europe and the U.S. “will assist us improve stress on Russia to maneuver in direction of a diplomatic resolution to this advanced problem.”
Different European leaders attending Thursday’s talks in Paris are European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. A number of different European leaders are becoming a member of the assembly nearly.
The White Home stated Trump will converse with Zelenskyy on Thursday. The president is anticipated to hitch the dialogue nearly.
Talking with journalists on Wednesday, Trump pushed again on one reporter’s suggestion of his “lack of motion” on Russia in response to its continued offensive operations and long-range assaults in Ukraine, regardless of his repeated threats of additional sanctions and tariffs on Moscow.
“How are you aware there isn’t any motion? Would you say that, placing secondary sanctions on India, the most important purchaser exterior of China, they’re nearly equal, would you say there was no motion that prices a whole bunch of billions of {dollars} to Russia? You name that no motion?” Trump stated.
The president was referring to the latest imposition of 25% tariffs on all imported Indian items in response to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian power items and army tools.
French President Emmanuel Macron greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at The Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Sept. 4, 2025.
Ludovic Marin/AFP through Getty Photos
“And I have not carried out section two but,” Trump continued. “Or section three. However if you say there isn’t any motion, I believe you should get your self a brand new job. As a result of in the event you bear in mind, two weeks in the past, I did — I stated, if India buys, India’s bought massive issues. And that is what occurred. So do not inform me about that.”
Trump and Putin met in Alaska practically three weeks in the past. After that occasion, Trump advised {that a} bilateral assembly between Putin and Zelenskyy needs to be the subsequent step within the negotiations course of.
The Kremlin has given no indication of its willingness to assist such a gathering, although Putin advised this week {that a} assembly may happen in Moscow.
Kyiv rapidly dismissed that proposal. Overseas Minister Andri Sybiha stated in a publish to X, “Putin continues to fiddle with everybody by making knowingly unacceptable proposals.”
Trump advised reporters on Wednesday he had “no message” for Putin. “He is aware of the place I stand, and he’ll decide by hook or by crook no matter his determination is will both be completely happy about it or sad and if we’re sad about it, you will see issues occur.”
“We have taken very robust motion, as you already know, and in different methods we have taken very robust motion,” Trump continued. “However I will be chatting with him over the subsequent few days and we’ll see with him. I’ll know precisely what’s occurred.”
ABC Information’ Tom Soufi Burridge, Hannah Demissie, Will Gretsky, Yulia Drozd, Somayeh Malekian and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.
