Ukraine has developed a plan to increase its army, which includes the involvement of a European military contingent. President Volodymyr Zelensky may present this plan at the Munich Security Conference. Reports TSN. This was reported by Kontrakty.UA.
He made this statement in a conversation with journalists.
"We will build NATO in Ukraine – then weapons from you (from the West), a contingent from Europeans and Americans. The contingent is not 5 or 7 thousand, as previously stated. I have tasked the military to calculate, and we need 100,000 people," Zelensky stated.
According to him, this step is necessary due to the increase in the size of the Russian army. The Kremlin plans to boost its forces by 150,000 by 2025, which requires a corresponding response from Ukraine.
The president also emphasized that the national budget is significantly deficient, and the issue of army funding is critical.
"We have a deficit of 40 billion dollars, and everyone is helping us today. This is an army of 110 brigades, over 800,000 people. And if Russia increases the size of its troops, we need at least 1.5 times more people. That means an additional 15-20 billion dollars. Which is cheaper – NATO or this?" Zelensky pointed out.
Volodymyr Zelensky also reported whether he discussed the elections in Ukraine with Trump. He emphasized that during the full-scale war, the issue of elections is not on the agenda.