Russian President Vladimir Putin says that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine, particularly while its invasion is still ongoing, would be considered "legitimate targets" by Moscow's forces. Putin's comments on Friday came hours after European leaders repledged their commitment to a potential peacekeeping force. Putin said that "we assume that they will be legitimate targets" if any foreign troops are deployed to Ukraine "especially now while fighting is ongoing." Putin made the remarks at an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. Putin also dismissed the idea of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine after any final peace deal.

French President Emmanuel Macron says that 26 of Ukraine's allies have pledged to deploy troops as a "reassurance force" for the war-torn country once fighting ends in the conflict with Russia. Speaking after a meeting of the so-called "coalition of the willing" in Paris, Macron says the countries have committed to deploying troops in Ukraine — or to maintaining a presence on land, at sea, or in the air — to help guarantee the country's security the day after a ceasefire or peace is achieved. Earlier Thursday, Macron and other European leaders met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the the U.S. envoy for peace talks, Steve Witkoff.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will make a rare trip abroad next week to attend a military parade in the Chinese capital, North Korean and Chinese state media said Thursday. With Russian President Vladimir Putin also coming for the parade, the event will underline the three-way alignment among Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang. China will hold the parade on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. No leaders from the United States or major Western European countries are expected, in part because of their differences with Putin over the war in Ukraine. China borders North Korea and is its closest ally.

A Ukrainian military official says Russia's invading forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine, seeking to capture more ground in their three-year war of attrition as U.S.-led peace efforts struggle to gain traction. Victor Trehubov, spokesman for local ground forces, told The Associated Press that some Russian troops have entered two villages in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, a major Ukrainian industrial center next to the Donetsk region where fierce fighting has been taking place. Ukrainian troops are under severe strain as they try to hold back Russia's bigger army.

NATO defense chiefs have discussed potential security guarantees for Ukraine to help end Russia's three-year war. Italian Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said 32 defense chiefs held a video conference and had a "candid discussion" amid a U.S.-led diplomatic push for peace. Ukraine is seeking military assurances against the threat of future Russian invasions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized the talks for excluding Moscow. An alliance official said U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, took part in the virtual talks Wednesday. U.S. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also met with European military chiefs Tuesday evening in Washington .