Ambassador of France on deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine: Russia doesn’t have the right to dictate terms to sovereign country like Ukraine
The Russian Federation has no legal grounds to challenge Ukraine's decision to place a foreign contingent on its territory, emphasizes the Ambassador of the French Republic to Ukraine, Gaël Veyssière.
The ambassador said this in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency, answering the question, what will be Europe's reaction if the Russian Federation opposes international troops on the territory of Ukraine during the peace negotiations.
“Russia doesn’t have the right - or the legal basis - to dictate terms to a sovereign country like Ukraine. If Ukraine decides to invite allies onto its own territory, that’s entirely its sovereign choice. There’s no valid legal reason for Russia to object,” he stated.
Veyssière also added that if, theoretically, Russia were to manipulate this issue and not agree to a ceasefire, then the Russians would have to bear responsibility for blocking progress—and for demonstrating that they are not truly interested in ending the war.
“These are precisely the kinds of difficult issues that need to be addressed and that includes direct discussions between Ukraine, Russia, Europe and the United States,” the diplomat added.
