Zelenskyy reveals Plan B in case Ukraine is not accepted into NATO
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine will need to significantly strengthen its army if it is not accepted into NATO. In particular, this would involve doubling the number of military personnel, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy states in an interview with The Economist.
He noted that the question of what security guarantees Ukraine will have now entirely depends on US President Donald Trump. At the same time, it is dangerous to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia with weak guarantees.
"If Ukraine is not in NATO, it means that Ukraine will build NATO on its territory. So we need an army as numerous as the Russians have today. And for all this, we need weapons and money. And we will ask the US for this," the head of state emphasized.
According to Zelenskyy, this is Plan B in case Ukraine does not become part of NATO.
"We do not need any armies in the world. We need our own army, but we have to double it. Double. To be on the same level as the Russian army," Zelenskyy stated.
The president clarified that in order to double the army, Ukraine will need money and military equipment. Thus, Europe can help with financing, while the US can assist with "some specific types of weapons," particularly referring to long-range missiles and Patriot air defense systems.
Security guarantees for Ukraine
Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized the need for security guarantees that would prevent another Russian attack.
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has noted, Ukraine's accession to NATO would be the "cheapest" security guarantee option for the West.
At the same time, the head of the Ukrainian state has stressed that any security guarantees not involving the United States are weak.
He also ruled out reducing the size of the Ukrainian army, even if Ukraine is eventually invited to join the North Atlantic Alliance.
