Zelensky Says Security Guarantee Would Need At Least 200k Peacekeepers

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is seeking a meeting with US President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday 21 January 2025 that at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would be needed to prevent a new Russian attack after any ceasefire deal.

The Ukrainian leader, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland a day after Trump returned to power following months of promises to end the war in Ukraine quickly, also urged European leaders to do more to defend the continent.

The prospect of a rapid settlement has focused minds in Kyiv and Europe on the urgent need for security guarantees to prevent any future Russian attack, with the idea of peacekeeping force circulating.

"From all the Europeans? 200,000, it's a minimum. It's a minimum, otherwise it's nothing," Zelensky said when asked about the idea of a peacekeeping contingent on an interview panel after delivering his speech.

That number is around the size of the entire French armed forces, estimated at just over 200,000 by France's defence ministry in 2020. Zelenskiy said at least that number would be needed as a security guarantee if Russia's armed forces totalled 1.5 million personnel and Ukraine had only half that number. 

Zelensky said such a force would only be part of the security guarantees that Ukraine needed.

Trump meeting

The Ukrainian leader said Kyiv was working to set up a meeting between himself and Trump. 

"The teams have been working on a meeting, they are currently in the process," Zelensky said about those efforts. 

Trump, who returned to office on Monday 20 January 2025, has said he would stop the war in Ukraine swiftly, without saying how.

Zelensky said Ukraine would not agree to Russian demands that it drastically reduce the size of its military, predicting that Russian President Vladimir Putin would demand Ukraine cut its armed forces to a fifth of their size.

"This is what he wants. We will not allow this to happen," Zelensky said. 

In his speech, Zelensky said Europe must make itself a strong global player, able to guarantee peace and security for itself and for others. He suggested Europe had less influence over Washington because the United States viewed its allies' contribution to security as lacking.

"Does anyone in the United States worry that Europe might abandon them someday - might stop being their ally? The answer is no," Zelensky said.

He said that Europeans needed to devise a united security and defence policy and alluded to a pre-inauguration remark by Trump, who proposed a massive hike in defence spending for NATO members to 5% of GDP. 

"If it takes 5% of GDP to cover defence, then so be it, 5% it is. And there is no need to play with people's emotions that defence should be compensated at the expense of medicine or pensions - that's not fair," Zelensky said.