Zelensky Says Ukraine Wants to Keep 800,000-Troop Army, Rules Out Neutrality

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine should maintain an army of 800,000 personnel to ensure its security, adding that the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) is an internal matter that will not be negotiated with Russia or the US.In an interview with Alla Mazur, host of TSN.Tyzhden (TSN.The Week), Zelensky said the key question was how Ukraine’s military would be funded and what security guarantees the country would receive as part of any peace settlement.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“If I have sufficient funding, I want to maintain an army of 800,000 people. If we are in NATO, the number could be 800,000 or less,” he said.According to Zelensky, the central issue is who is prepared to finance Ukraine’s armed forces.“And that is my question for NATO,” he added.Starlink and intelligence sharing resumeZelensky also said Starlink had resumed operating in Ukraine and that the country was once again receiving uninterrupted intelligence on ballistic missiles following what he described as productive talks in Oslo.He said Ukrainian intelligence on ballistic missile strikes was now functioning at 100% capacity.“The dialogue between Ukraine and the US – which had become quite emotional – has returned to a functional state. Starlink is back up and running (as of Saturday, Oct. 24, at 5:20 a.m.). We achieved the right outcome; we secured what we needed. This was one component of our discussions in Oslo,” Zelensky said. Other Topics of Interest Russia Launched 1,600 Bombs and 2,300 Drones Over Past Week Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday, Oct. 25, that Russia fired 1,600 bombs, 2,300 drones, and 48 missiles in the past week, damaging sites in nine regions, as he urged Patriot deliveries. He revealed that tensions in the dialogue with Washington had centered on three main issues: shortages of air defense systems, operational restrictions on Starlink, and limitations on the intelligence provided by the US.Two of those issues have now been resolved, Zelensky said, although the provision of additional air defense systems remains unresolved.Zelensky rejects neutrality and restrictions on Ukraine’s armyZelensky also discussed a document containing US proposals for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine that US special envoy Steve Witkoff delivered to Russian President Vladimir Putin.According to Zelensky, the document contains various proposals from Washington, but Ukraine has made clear that two issues are non-negotiable: the country’s neutrality and restrictions on its armed forces.“The document contains various proposals from the American side. We maintain that key aspects of this are that there can be no discussion of our state adopting neutrality, nor can there be any talk of placing restrictions on the Ukrainian army,” Zelensky said.He did not disclose whether Ukraine’s red lines were explicitly spelled out in the document, saying that agreements with the US prevented him from sharing all the details.However, Zelensky reiterated that Russia cannot dictate the terms of Ukraine’s security guarantees.“Therefore, restrictions on our army and the neutrality of Ukraine are not up for discussion. The issue of territory is a ‘red line’ that can only be addressed at the level of the leaders themselves. For us, this has always been a non-negotiable constant,” he said.“Yet, the Americans frequently raise the question of territory – asking what we might be willing to trade in exchange for certain fundamental principles,” Zelensky added.Zelensky stressed that Ukraine does not intend to give up territory but remains open to discussions.He said territorial questions must be addressed directly by the leaders, while other issues could be handled by technical groups.“If the discussion concerns the territorial issue, it must take place at the level of leaders. Other matters should be handled by technical groups. What constitutes ‘other matters’? Security guarantees. For instance, the issue of NATO – which, naturally, appears in relevant documents and new proposals – is one such matter,” Zelensky said.“We are discussing security guarantees; someone must provide assurances that Russia will not launch a new act of aggression,” he added.According to Zelensky, Ukraine expects such guarantees from the US and Europe.He also stressed that the document delivered by Witkoff was not a plan simply presented to Putin for approval.“It is not Russia that makes the decision; all parties involved do. There are proposals for discussion – including those from the American side – which are being discussed with us,” Zelensky said.Zelensky proposes energy truce as first step toward peaceAsked by Mazur what Putin would need to do to demonstrate that he genuinely intended to end the war, Zelensky pointed to an energy truce as a possible first step.“This would be a signal. If that doesn’t happen, then we look to a trilateral meeting at the level of leaders,” he said.Zelensky believes such a meeting involving Ukraine, the US and Russia is possible. However, he cautioned that Putin’s apparent willingness to resume negotiations does not guarantee that the Kremlin will follow through.However, he suggested that Moscow could be feigning readiness for dialogue to avoid further confrontation with US President Donald Trump.Zelensky said it was too early to judge the outcome of a potential leaders’ meeting before it took place.“One should discuss the outcome ‘after’ the meeting in question, not ‘before’ it. What will unfold there? What escalatory developments might arise in the Middle East? Will this meeting take place in Abu Dhabi, or perhaps in Europe? We shall see,” he said.Zelensky added that he did not know what had prompted Putin’s sudden shift in position on peace negotiations.“What influenced this? I cannot say. Perhaps there are some agreements between America and Russia of which I am unaware,” he said.Ukraine is prepared to participate in trilateral negotiations involving technical groups, Zelensky added, but he stressed that the talks must produce concrete results.He recalled that the American side had asked what specific outcomes Ukraine wanted to see.“The Americans asked me, ‘What kind of specifics are you looking for?’ I replied, ‘Look, could the war end in November during a meeting of the technical group?’ Without the leaders present, it won’t be a complete resolution,” Zelensky said.He then outlined several alternatives that could produce tangible progress even without a comprehensive peace agreement.“Fine – if that’s not on the table, then let’s have an ‘energy truce,’ address the maritime situation and grain exports, carry out an ‘all-for-all’ prisoner exchange, or hold a meeting of the leaders. That, undoubtedly, constitutes a result. A result creates opportunity,” he added.Zelensky added that these were proposals put forward to the American side, not demands.He said it should become clear in November whether Putin was genuinely prepared to negotiate or was merely making political gestures to avoid escalating tensions with Washington ahead of the elections.“And if this is merely a political stunt – if Putin is simply saying ‘Yes, I’m ready’ because he wants to avoid escalation with America ahead of the elections – we will find out very quickly in November whether it was a ruse or not,” Zelensky said.US proposes temporary ceasefire in OleshkyZelensky also said the US had proposed a ceasefire in the Oleshky area starting Oct. 27 and lasting several days to facilitate a humanitarian mission.Under the proposal, representatives of Ukraine, the US nd Russia would travel to the area. Russian forces would be expected to clear roads of mines, while Ukraine would verify the work and carry out the necessary measures.Zelensky said he had issued specific instructions to Ukraine’s ombudsman and that the government had also consulted the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the military.He cautioned, however, that Russia could clear the roads in a way that directs people toward Russian-controlled territory, rather than allowing them to leave freely.Zelensky said some people would nevertheless be evacuated to Ukrainian-controlled territory.“The main thing is to unblock these people so that they can live. Ideally, they will be able to reach their goal and be evacuated here – to us, to Ukraine,” he said.