Zelensky on 200,000 peacekeepers in Ukraine: Their numbers could exceed that.

He stated this in an interview with Bloomberg.

The President explained that the number of these peacekeepers will depend on how much Ukraine needs to reduce its army.

Earlier, Zelensky noted that if Ukraine does not join NATO, it will need to maintain a million-strong army to deter a new potential attack from Russia. However, this could be extremely costly for Ukraine, so the size of the Western contingent should be such that it, combined with the Ukrainian army, totals one million personnel.

“If we reduce the army by 200,000, 300,000, or 500,000, it indicates that instead, other troops are needed in the quantity that we have reduced our forces by,” Zelensky explained.

The President also emphasized that such an initiative should not be viewed as purely European and without U.S. involvement. According to Zelensky, this is exactly what Russia aims for.

Western Forces in Ukraine

Back in February 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the possible deployment of his troops to Ukraine during a meeting he convened with partner countries in Paris. However, he noted that the states had not yet reached a consensus on this issue.

In November, the French publication Le Monde reported that certain European leaders had once again returned to discussions about the potential deployment of Western troops to Ukraine due to the possible refusal of newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump to assist Kyiv.

Meanwhile, American media circulated a plan for resolving the war in Ukraine, allegedly proposed by advisors to the newly elected U.S. President.

This plan, in particular, includes the creation of a demilitarized zone along the frozen front line between Russia and Ukraine, with security guaranteed by troops from European countries.

President Vladimir Zelensky stated that partner troops in Ukraine could become one of the best tools to compel Russia to peace. However, he emphasized that the European peacekeeping mission should not replace Ukraine's NATO membership.

Previously, Italy and Germany expressed their readiness to send peacekeepers. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius noted that Russia should also agree to coordinate the European peacekeeping mission.

At the same time, Poland stated that they do not plan to send their troops.