STORY: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday (September 5) that thousands of troops could be deployed to Ukraine as part of post-war security guarantees.

"It is important that we are discussing all this ... it will definitely be in the thousands, not just a few," Zelenskiy said after a meeting with European Council President Antonio Costa in western Ukraine, adding that it was too early to discuss specifics.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday (September 4) that 26 countries had pledged to provide postwar security guarantees to Ukraine, including an international force on land, sea and in the air.

Macron initially said those countries would deploy to Ukraine, but later said that some of them would provide guarantees while remaining outside Ukraine, for example by helping to train and equip Kyiv's forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that any Western troops deployed to Ukraine would be legitimate targets for Moscow to attack.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Zelenskiy says thousands of foreign troops being discussed as part of Ukraine security guarantees

VIDEO SHOWS: UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE, COMMENTING ON SECURITY GUARANTEES, EU ACCESSION

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: UZHHOROD, UKRAINE (SEPTEMBER 5, 2025) (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE - Access all)

1. EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANTONIO COSTA HUGGING UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, SHAKING HANDS

2. ZELENSKIY SPEAKING

3. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION

4. COSTA AND ZELENSKIY

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, COMMENTING ON SECURITY GUARANTEES, SAYING:

"And we also understand which countries are ready to implement what. And also this issue that you said that there is information that there are 10 thousand troops which will be deployed. Again, I will not talk about the number, but it is important that we are discussing all this. Yes, it will definitely be in the thousands, not just a few. And this is a fact, but it is still a little early to talk about it."

6. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION

7. ZELENSKIY SPEAKING

8. COSTA AND ZELENSKIY

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, SAYING:

"Finally, we hear a signal from Russia that they are already accepting Ukraine's membership in the European Union. It's a pity that they are accepting reality with such a delay. Since 2013, Russia has been moving towards (accepting) this simple idea."

10. ZELENSKIY SPEAKING

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, SAYING:

"But now some of Russia's other big friends in Europe need to hear this too. And if even (Russian president Vladimir) Putin doesn't object, the positions of some countries, especially Hungary, regarding the negotiation clusters look really strange."

12. COSTA AND ZELENSKIY SHAKING HANDS, HUGGING