Zelenskyy commented on the idea of reducing Ukraine’s army as part of a peace agreement

Zelenskyy commented on the idea of reducing Ukraine’s army as part of a peace agreement

Even if Ukraine receives an invitation to NATO, it will not give Kyiv the right to reduce the number of security and defense forces, and without this reduction, it is impossible.

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with journalists in Brussels on Thursday night.

Commenting on possible security guarantees within the framework of peace agreements, the president emphasized that for Ukraine, the best guarantee would be membership in the Alliance, which is why Ukraine continues to work on obtaining an invitation to join.

Nevertheless, Zelenskyy is considering all possible guarantee options, including "sanctions and financial." "But all of this is not enough to claim that Putin will not start a war again," he stated.

The president emphasized that under such conditions, Ukraine cannot agree to the reduction of the Armed Forces.

"The best option of guarantees is a strong army, a large army. The largest army in Europe. We simply do not have the right to limit the power of our army, in any case, even on the way to NATO. As long as we are not in NATO, we are at risk," Zelenskyy stated.

He also noted that part of the guarantees should be a "strong economy," including financing Ukraine’s budget deficit during the war, and here Kyiv is making progress. "We know how to close the deficit in 2025," he explained.