MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. Russia considers the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine entirely unacceptable, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asserting that such forces will be regarded as legitimate military targets.

During a briefing, Zakharova responded to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s comments regarding plans to send troops from the so-called coalition of the willing to Ukraine. She firmly stated, "This is categorically unacceptable for us."

She reiterated Russia’s longstanding position, emphasizing, "Russia has repeatedly made clear that the presence of Western troops on Ukrainian soil, under any flag, threatens our security. We will treat these troops as legitimate military targets."

Zakharova recalled that "it was the unrestrained expansion of NATO's geopolitical space right up to our borders, including Ukraine, that became one of the root causes of the conflict." "Without eliminating this, its resolution is impossible," she stated.

Zakharova assured that "Russia will seek to resolve this issue through military or political means," noting that Moscow had proposed "various options."