Zelenskyy says Ukraine will need to double its army if it does not join NATO
Pravda Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that if Ukraine does not become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance, it will have to double its army to have the strength to resist Russia.
Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with The Economist
Details: Zelenskyy noted that NATO membership currently looks unlikely for Ukraine due to opposition from Germany, Hungary and the United States.
However, he believes the situation could change if US President Donald Trump “asked”.
Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine is not giving up its NATO aspirations, but if the door to the Alliance “remains shut”, the country must “build NATO in its territory”, meaning it must significantly strengthen its own army.
Quote: “We have to double it. Double. To be on the same level as the Russian army.”
Details: The president also believes the US could provide security guarantees without asking Russia, and Europe could help fund it.
Background:
- Zelenskyy has previously expressed confidence that his American counterpart Donald Trump could influence whether Ukraine would join NATO.
- However, Trump has said he “can understand Russia’s feelings” about the fact that the previous US administration backed Ukraine’s membership of the Alliance.
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