Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has urged European nations to deploy a peacekeeping force of at least 200,000 personnel to prevent further Russian aggression after any potential ceasefire, speaking during an interview in Davos on January 21, 2025.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for a minimum of 200,000 European peacekeepers to ensure security following any potential ceasefire with Russia, citing the scale of the threat posed by Moscow’s armed forces.

In an interview with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zelenskiy stressed the critical need for robust security guarantees. "From all the Europeans? 200,000, it's a minimum. It's a minimum, otherwise it's nothing," he said. "Otherwise, it is something like we had OSCE, and nobody knew where they could help you. They just had offices – and that’s all."

The proposed figure, comparable to the size of France’s armed forces, highlights Ukraine's concerns about countering Russia’s military strength, which is estimated at 1.5 million personnel. Ukraine’s own armed forces are approximately half that size.

NATO and the Trump Meeting

Zelenskiy revealed ongoing efforts to secure a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently returned to office. "The teams have been working on a meeting; they are currently in the process," he said.

Zelenskiy also commented on Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, emphasising the decisive role Trump could play. "If Trump is ready to see Ukraine in NATO – we will be in NATO. All the members will be in favour of it. If President Trump is not ready to see us in NATO – we won’t be in NATO," Zelenskiy remarked.

Firm Stance on Occupied Territories

Reiterating Ukraine’s position on Russian-occupied territories, Zelenskiy declared there would be no legal recognition of those areas as Russian under any circumstances. "Legally, we won’t recognize – no matter what anybody wants, even if all the allies of the world unite. We will always consider those territories occupied by Russia until we come back there," he stated.

The remarks underline Ukraine's unwavering commitment to reclaiming its territories and seeking long-term security guarantees amid the ongoing conflict.

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