Russia has long maintained that an active presence of military personnel and troops aiding Ukraine would be an escalation of the war. But NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) insists that once the conflict ends, boots will be on the ground in Ukraine.

Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said that “some European allies have announced that they will deploy troops to Ukraine after a deal is reached. Troops on the ground, jets in the air, ships on the Black Sea. The United States will be the backstop.”

France has already taken its turn at provoking Russia over the preparation to deploy troops to Ukraine. So far, this decision seems to have not come to fruition; however, it could still be on the table.

Russia Accuses France Of Getting Ready To Deploy Troops To Ukraine

Rutte added that NATO is also “assisting, equipping and training the Ukrainian Armed Forces” and sending “billions of dollars’ worth of critical US military hardware” to Ukraine.

Any soldiers sent to Ukraine will be treated as legitimate targets for Russia, it continues to warn. “The deployment of Western military units, facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure in Ukraine is unacceptable to us and will be considered a foreign intervention that poses a direct threat to Russia’s security,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists on Monday.

Russia also continues to maintain that the West’s involvement in the war is nothing more than a proxy.

Pentagon Escalates Hostilities with Russia: “We Are In a Proxy War”

One of Russia’s key peace demands is that Ukraine embrace neutrality and give up its NATO membership ambitions, a goal that Moscow says it is ready to continue pursuing militarily in the event that Kiev refuses to compromise.

According to a report by RT, Ukraine’s ambition to join the US-led military bloc, as well as NATO’s expansion towards Russia’s borders, are among the fundamental causes of the current conflict, according to Moscow.