Putin’s Dare: West Considers Ukraine Force, Kremlin Promises a Fight

Vladimir Putin has issued a direct dare to the West: deploy troops to Ukraine, and the Kremlin will respond with force. The Russian president’s statement that any foreign military personnel would be “legitimate targets” is a bold challenge to a nascent European plan to provide Kyiv with security guarantees after the war.
The plan, spearheaded by France and supported by 25 other nations, envisions a multinational force to protect Ukraine from future aggression. This has been welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a critical component of his country’s long-term security. Putin’s dare, however, is designed to test the limits of Western resolve and unity.
The dare is already exposing fault lines in the Western coalition. Key members like Germany have balked at the idea of sending troops, fearful of being drawn into a direct conflict with Russia. This has forced the proposal’s supporters to temper their ambitions, moving away from a hands-on peacekeeping role.
This high-stakes geopolitical maneuvering is taking place in the absence of any viable peace talks. With no ceasefire on the horizon, discussions of “postwar” arrangements are highly speculative. The mutual animosity and distrust between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine continue to fuel the conflict and block any path to a diplomatic solution.