Ukraine Wants West to Fund 800,000-Strong Army for 10 Years After War

Ukraine has asked its Western allies to finance an 800,000-strong army for at least 10 years after the war with Russia ends, seeking to deter another Russian invasion. The request was raised during discussions on security guarantees at trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the US in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 10, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The meeting marks the first such trilateral negotiations in nearly nine months, with discussions extending beyond a potential ceasefire to the future security architecture of Europe. The opening round of talks lasted 4.5 hours, with the delegations expected to resume discussions on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The proposed 800,000-strong force stands in stark contrast to Moscow’s longstanding demands that Ukraine sharply reduce its military capabilities. During the initial peace negotiations in Istanbul in 2022, Russia demanded that Ukraine limit its armed forces to just 85,000 personnel. Kyiv proposed a ceiling of 250,000 troops. The Russian proposal also sought to restrict Ukraine’s arsenal to 342 tanks and 519 artillery systems, while limiting the range of Ukrainian missiles to just 40 kilometers (25 miles). Ukraine, meanwhile, proposed 800 tanks and missiles with a range of up to 280 kilometers (174 miles). Moscow revived its maximalist approach during the June 2025 negotiations in Turkey, when it presented a memorandum demanding restrictions on the size of Ukraine’s military and the quantity and types of weapons it could possess. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine, US, Russia Begin Second Day of Abu Dhabi Talks The agenda for the second day may include a possible ceasefire, energy issues, and security in the Black Sea. The document also demanded Ukrainian neutrality, a ban on military alliances, and the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the entirety of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, including territory Russia does not control. Zelensky has since made clear that Kyiv will not accept restrictions on its armed forces. In an October 2026 interview, he said Ukraine wanted to maintain an army of 800,000 troops if sufficient funding could be secured, adding that the size of the country’s military was not something he would negotiate with Moscow. Reshaping the security system A source in the Russian delegation told AFP that ending the war was “just one item on the agenda,” adding that the broader objective was to reshape the security system across the entire European continent. Moscow insists that any new security framework must provide guarantees to Russia as well as Ukraine, a demand that was also discussed during separate consultations in Abu Dhabi. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Jared Kushner, who is participating in the negotiations, said Washington hopes to “create a new structure” for security between Ukraine, Russia, and Europe that could ensure “decades, if not centuries, of peace.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the first day of talks as “constructive and very substantive,” without disclosing further details. He said the delegations discussed humanitarian issues, security guarantees, and measures to prevent another outbreak of hostilities, identifying the release of prisoners as a priority. Kushner also said Washington had managed to “narrow the gap” between the warring sides, although neither side disclosed concrete progress. The negotiations followed preliminary consultations between Ukraine, the US, and European partners, with Kyiv seeking to coordinate its position with European allies before meeting the Russian delegation. NATO-style security guarantees on the table According to Bloomberg sources familiar with the discussions, US representatives asked Moscow before the Abu Dhabi negotiations to approve post-war security guarantees for Ukraine modeled on Articles 4 and 5 of the NATO treaty. Article 4 provides for consultations among allies when a member’s security is threatened, while Article 5 establishes the principle of collective defense in response to an armed attack. Zelensky has previously outlined several possible security arrangements, including NATO membership, bilateral security guarantees from Washington, or a European-led coalition backed by the US. He has insisted that any agreement must specify concrete military commitments rather than rely on political promises. In his October interview, Zelensky also called for US security guarantees to receive congressional approval, arguing that they must remain binding regardless of changes in political leadership. Ukrainian representatives stressed during the Abu Dhabi talks that such guarantees are essential to securing a lasting end to the war. It remains unclear whether Moscow is prepared to accept the proposal. The Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin and a prominent advocate of the Kremlin’s hardline position. Following negotiations with Ukrainian representatives in Turkey in June 2025, Medinsky insisted that Kyiv would have to accept Moscow’s terms, abandon its integration with the West, and prepare for a prolonged conflict. He also claimed Russia was ready to fight “for as long as necessary.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.