President Vladimir Zelensky stated that Ukraine will maintain the maximum number of military personnel necessary for protecting its interests after the war concludes.
The head of state shared this during his press conference, which was broadcast by "Suspilne".
According to Zelensky, preserving the army's composition will be one of the key guarantees of security.
“Regardless of the circumstances, we do not trust the Russians that they seek anything peaceful. We base our beliefs on the fact that we trust our army,” emphasized Zelensky.
The president also mentioned that Ukraine is discussing the deployment of foreign contingents on its territory with partners. Zelensky noted that there are currently “various visions” regarding the number of troops, but discussions are ongoing.
“It depends on the role the United States will play. It depends on the number of countries and personnel. This is part of the security guarantees,” explained the president.
Previously, Vladimir Zelensky noted that if Ukraine does not join NATO, it needs to have a 1.5 million strong army. According to the head of state, the size of the Ukrainian army reaches 880,000 people, making it the largest in Europe.
Zelensky also mentioned that at least 200,000 peacekeepers are needed to deter Russia.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia demanded that Ukraine reduce its army to 50,000 personnel.