Munich, (EFE).- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Munich Security Conference on Friday that his country will need 1.5 million troops after the war to protect itself from further Russian aggression if Ukraine is not accepted as a member of NATO.
“We need an army of 1.5 million soldiers if we’re not in NATO if we don’t want to fear a new Russian occupation or invasion after a ceasefire or something like that,” said Zelenskyy, who called for protection given the current size of the Russian army and his intelligence services’ projections for its growth.
The Ukrainian president said he was still considering the possibility of a military contingent from allied countries providing part of this force.
“It doesn’t matter which country the troops come from,” said Zelenskyy, who stressed the need for the United States to be involved, highlighting the high cost of human resources maintenance and weapons of a Ukrainian army large enough to deter Russia from further attacks.
Zelenskyy has insisted in recent weeks that he will not agree to a reduction in the number of Ukrainian army personnel, as the Kremlin might demand in a possible negotiation process.
Zelenskyy urged Europe to negotiate peace with Russia
The Ukrainian leader called on Friday for the US to count on Europe to develop a plan to negotiate an end to the war with Russia.
“It is very necessary to make a common plan for the civilized world, to share these things with our friends, and the help of our friends in Europe is essential,” Zelenskyy said in a conference at the Munich Security Conference.
The Ukrainian president also reiterated that neither he nor the Ukrainian people would accept any decision on Ukraine without Ukraine, while he referred to US President Donald Trump’s phone call with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
“Phone calls are phone calls. Let’s forget about it, I think the important thing is the meeting, not to make decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine. That is something we will never accept,” he said.
The Ukrainian president said he was ready to travel to Washington anytime to talk to Donald Trump about the road to peace. Zelenskyy urged Trump to impose more sanctions on Russia. “He has all the power to do it,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Trump. EFE
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