Kiev [Russia], January 23: Speaking at the annual conference of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland on January 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that at least 200,000 European soldiers would be needed as peacekeepers on Ukraine's eastern front to implement a potential peace deal with Russia.
Mr. Zelensky noted that Russia could deploy 1.5 million troops compared to 800,000 troops of Ukraine and 200,000 troops of France, according to The Kyiv Independent .
President Zelensky gave the number of troops needed as US President Donald Trump wants to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Reuters quoted Mr. Trump as saying on January 21 that he might impose sanctions on Russia if its President Vladimir Putin refuses to negotiate an end to the conflict.
President Putin previously said that Moscow is ready for dialogue on the Ukraine conflict with the new US administration, with the priority being to address the root causes of the crisis, according to TASS news agency.
While no detailed plans have been proposed, a peace deal is likely to require the presence of European peacekeepers. President Zelensky has been in touch with several European leaders about the prospect of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, an initiative that has been supported by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
