Zelenskyy: 100,000 peacekeepers needed to maintain stability between Ukraine and Russia
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
During his visit to the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that maintaining peace between Ukraine and Russia would require the deployment of 100,000 peacekeepers, and Ukrainian military officials have already prepared a deployment map for Western allies.
The head of state emphasized that a ceasefire cannot be organized without security guarantees. These guarantees could include Ukraine's NATO membership, weapons transfers, nuclear deterrence, or another security package.
Alternatively, Zelenskyy suggested that if NATO does not accept Ukraine, it will have to be "built inside Ukraine." This would require weapons supplies as well as a military contingent from Europe and the US.
"Not just 5-7 thousand troops. I gave our military a task: please calculate and show me the key points. We have mapped everything out. If necessary, I can present this in Munich. Not too openly, but we need 100,000 troops—it’s not about just 5,000," the president stated.
Peacekeeping mission in Ukraine
Previously, The New York Times reported that the deployment of European peacekeepers in Ukraine would be a central topic at the Munich Security Conference, scheduled for February 14-16.
However, the newspaper noted that such a plan may be ineffective without US support, as European troops alone could become targets for Russian attacks.
President Zelenskyy has also argued that the "cheapest" security guarantee for the West would be Ukraine’s NATO membership.
