Russia Brands Ukraine and European Allies an ‘Axis of War,’ Warns Peacekeepers Would Be Legitimate Targets

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Russia on Thursday sharply escalated its rhetoric against Ukraine and its European backers, branding them an “axis of war” and warning that any foreign peacekeeping forces deployed to Ukraine would be considered legitimate military targets by Russian forces.

The comments mark Moscow’s first response to a summit in Paris this week, where European leaders and U.S. envoys said they had agreed on key security guarantees for Kyiv, including a U.S.-led monitoring mechanism and a European multinational force to be deployed if a ceasefire is reached.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the proposals as “militarist” and fundamentally unacceptable to Moscow. “All such units and facilities will be considered legitimate military targets for the Russian Armed Forces,” she said in a statement, reiterating Russia’s long-standing opposition to the presence of NATO member troops in Ukraine.

Zakharova said the plans advanced by Kyiv’s allies were “dangerous” and “destructive,” arguing that “the new militarist declarations of the so-called Coalition of the Willing and the Kyiv regime together form a genuine ‘axis of war.’” Moscow has repeatedly warned that any Western troops sent to Ukraine, even under a peacekeeping mandate, could come under Russian fire.

The declaration of intent agreed in Paris envisions Britain, France, and other European allies deploying forces to Ukraine following a potential ceasefire, a proposal that has drawn a firm red line from the Kremlin as the war approaches its fourth year.

Kyiv Pushes Security Guarantees as Fighting Intensifies

Despite Russia’s warnings, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that a draft bilateral document outlining American security guarantees for Ukraine is “essentially ready” and awaiting approval from U.S. President Donald Trump.

“The bilateral document on security guarantees for Ukraine is now essentially ready for finalization at the highest level with the President of the United States,” Zelensky wrote on X, underscoring Kyiv’s push to lock in long-term Western backing as uncertainty grows over the trajectory of the conflict.

The diplomatic standoff comes as Russian attacks continue to exact a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. Overnight strikes left more than one million people in the central Dnipropetrovsk region without water supplies or heating, Ukrainian officials said, as temperatures fell below freezing.

Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said repair efforts were underway to restore services to affected residents, while regional military authorities confirmed damage to critical energy infrastructure. “The situation is difficult,” Dnipropetrovsk’s military head Vladyslav Gaivanenko said, adding that restoration work would begin as soon as security conditions allow.

Energy Infrastructure Under Sustained Attack

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 97 drones overnight, with air defenses intercepting 70, while the remaining drones struck multiple locations. The attack also knocked out power in the Zaporizhzhia region, leaving thousands without electricity or heating, according to state grid operator Ukrenergo.

Zaporizhzhia Governor Ivan Fedorov said electricity had been restored to key facilities, but most consumers remained without power. Ukrainian officials and their allies accuse Moscow of deliberately targeting energy infrastructure during winter months as part of a strategy to wear down the civilian population.

In response to the sustained campaign against its energy grid, Kyiv has increasingly targeted Russian oil depots and refineries, aiming to disrupt Moscow’s energy exports and strain its wartime economy.

As diplomatic tensions harden and fighting continues on the ground, Russia’s rejection of Western-backed security guarantees underscores the deep divisions that remain over any potential pathway to ending the war.