Zelenskyy rules out limits on Ukraine’s army and neutral status in peace deal
Ukraine will not accept limits on the size of its military or neutral status as part of a peace agreement, and Russia cannot dictate its security guarantees, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with TSN published on the evening of Oct. 25.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly stated that Ukraine will not accept any limits on the size of its military or neutral status in any potential peace agreement. He emphasized that Russia cannot dictate Ukraine's security guarantees, emphasizing that these guarantees are solely within Ukraine's control. Zelenskyy clarified that the decision regarding the size of Ukraine's military is a purely domestic issue, and it would be contingent upon the funding and support available.
He reiterated that if Ukraine secures sufficient funding, it could maintain an army of up to 800,000 troops, or even fewer if it chooses to remain in NATO. The Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, had initially expressed a desire to conclude the conflict swiftly through peaceful negotiations, contingent upon certain conditions being met, including the occupation of Donbas and the neutralization of Ukraine.
The Economist reported on October 23 that the United States had proposed a peace plan to Russia, which would reduce Ukraine's military to 600,000 troops, prohibit NATO forces from entering Ukraine, and limit Ukraine's ability to target Moscow and St. Petersburg. However, the Economist also noted that this plan did not impose similar restrictions on Russia, and the security guarantees for Ukraine were deemed insufficiently reliable.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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