Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs 1.5 million soldiers until NATO membership is secured
Pravda Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that until Ukraine joins NATO, it needs a 1.5-million-strong army to be able to confront Russia.
Source: Zelenskyy at a press conference in Munich
Details: Zelenskyy stated that if Ukraine is not a member of NATO, it must collaborate with Europe to develop a security framework, and European leaders must acknowledge this.
Quote from Zelenskyy: “If we are not in NATO, or until we are, we must have an army capable of ensuring defence. [This means] proper weapons. NATO weapons. And a suitable number of soldiers. Ours, Ukrainian.
But what’s this number? I’m giving you figures that the entire military and I understand. The army will be 1.5 million strong. One and one-half million!”
Details: He pointed out that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are now almost half the size.
“We have around half the number of combat brigades [compared to Russia]. They have 220, while we currently have 110. Therefore, we need 220 brigades,” Zelenskyy said.
He also added that maintaining such an army would require UAH 60 billion [approximately US$1.4 billion] annually, compared to the current UAH 40 billion [around US$960 million] a year. Therefore, it is crucial to consider who will finance this and how.
Background:
- In January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the Ukrainian Armed Forces consisted of 880,000 soldiers defending the entire country.
- On 12 February, Zelenskyy mentioned that the Russian government intends to increase its Armed Forces by 12-15 divisions in 2025, which would add approximately 150,000 soldiers.
- Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that once a ceasefire agreement is reached, at least 200,000 European peacekeepers should be deployed in Ukraine to prevent a new Russian invasion.
- He later stressed that any effective peacekeeping force deployed to Ukraine should include US troops.
- The Ukrainian president also clarified that the number of peacekeepers would depend on the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
- Subsequently, Zelenskyy suggested that Ukraine may not require a foreign peacekeeping contingent if it possesses an enlarged army, sufficient weapons and the necessary funds to maintain it.
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