Putin to demand fivefold cut in Ukraine's military at talks, Zelenskyy says
Milana Golovan
News editor at LIGA.net
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will insist on reducing the size of Ukraine's army and blocking its NATO accession during negotiations, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"One of Putin’s key demands, which we will all see, is slashing Ukraine’s military by multiples. We built an army of 800,000, and together with Europe, it’s a force capable not only of defending borders but also of countering Putin. He understands this," the Ukrainian leader stated.
Zelenskyy said that Russia's "easiest path" to claim victory in talks is to pressure the U.S. into blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership and force a fivefold reduction of Ukraine's armed forces.
- On January 15, 2025, Zelenskyy disclosed that Ukraine's Armed Forces currently number 880,000 troops, compared to Russia's military of approximately 600,000.