Zelenskyy says Ukraine may need an army of up to 1.5 million to confront Russia
- Anna Hakman
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19:53, 14 February, 2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, photo: OPPresident of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine may need an army of up to 1.5 million people to effectively counter a potential Russian invasion.
He said this during the Munich Security Conference.
«It doesn't matter what country these forces are from, in any case, we need 1.5 million troops if we are not in NATO. If we really want, after the ceasefire, not to be afraid of a new occupation or a new Russian invasion. These are real security guarantees. Putin will know that he has an army of 1.5 million people and Ukraine has an army of 1.5 million people. If he wants to come and die, please», Zelenskyy said.
In addition, the head of state added that the Ukrainian military provided him with a map showing the number and types of troops of Ukraine's partners that could be involved.
«Our military has already done its homework and I have not yet shared this with our allies, but we already have a map with the number and types of troops of our partners, where they should be (on the territory of Ukraine, — note)», he concluded.
Peace talks
Earlier, Donald Trump said that the United States was engaged in constructive negotiations on a full-scale war with Ukraine and the Russian Federation. In particular, he expressed hope that agreements would be reached as soon as possible.
He also claimed that Washington had already made some progress in negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In addition, Donald Trump indicated that his administration had already held discussions with Moscow, but did not specify who participated in such a dialogue.
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that negotiations between the United States and Russia to end the war without Kyiv's participation pose a threat to everyone.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that he was ready to sit down with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for the sake of peace, despite his hostile attitude.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is ready to «allocate people» to negotiate with Ukraine to end the war. At the same time, he called any such talks «illegitimate».