His words come just a day after Kiev's Western allies said they were committed to a troop presence in the event of a peace agreement.

Two dozen countries, led by France and Britain, pledged to join a "reassurance" force on land, sea, and air to patrol any agreement.

"If troops appear there, especially now, during the fighting, we assume that they will be legitimate targets," Putin said at an economic forum in the far eastern city of Vladivostok, quoted by AFP.

He added that the deployment of such forces was not conducive to long-term peace and pointed out that Ukraine's closer military ties with the West were one of what he called "the main reasons" for the conflict.

Ukraine's allies have not disclosed any specific details about the plan, including how many troops would be involved and how specific countries would contribute.

Kyiv insists that security guarantees backed by Western troops are crucial to any peace agreement to ensure that Russia does not renew its offensive in the future.

Tens of thousands have been killed since Moscow launched its offensive in February 2022, forcing millions to flee their homes and destroying much of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Putin said that if an agreement is reached, there will be no need for troops.

"If decisions are made that will lead to peace, to long-term peace, then I simply do not see the point of their presence on Ukrainian territory. Because if agreements are reached, no one should doubt that Russia will comply with them in full," he stressed.

Ukraine and the West point to a long list of cases in which Russia has violated agreements, including between 2014 and 2022, when Moscow-backed separatists fought Kiev's army in the eastern part of the country. | BGNES