Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for at least 200,000 European troops to enforce any potential peace agreement with Russia, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Ukrainian president emphasized this figure as the “minimum” requirement while rejecting Moscow’s demands to dramatically reduce Ukraine’s own military forces from its current 800,000-strong size.
His remarks come as newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump promises swift resolution to the conflict, prompting Zelenskyy to urge Europe to strengthen its role as an “indispensable” global player. The Ukrainian leader warned that Russia had mobilized 600,000 troops in Ukraine and could muster up to 1.5 million men – a force several times larger than any individual European national army.
Zelenskyy highlighted the urgency of European military preparedness, pointing to ongoing battles involving North Korean forces near Ukraine’s eastern border, noting these battles are geographically closer to Davos than Pyongyang. He emphasized that without proper containment, Putin could return “with an army 10 times larger than now” and threaten former Soviet states.
Zelenskyy stressed that any ceasefire agreement would require Western security assurances, with NATO membership being the “best guarantee” – a position supported by most European member countries but opposed by the US, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia.
He urged EU countries to increase spending on technology and defense, particularly in drone production and modern air defense systems, as Russia has transformed into a war economy that currently outproduces Europe in military terms.
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