Ukrainian president calls for 1.5 million strong army if NATO membership not achieved

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a significant expansion of Ukraine's military, stating that if Ukraine is not granted NATO membership, it should build an army of 1.5 million soldiers.

In an interview with journalists in Munich, Zelenskyy underscored the necessity of a robust defence force capable of safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

“If we are not in NATO or not yet in NATO, we must have exactly such an army, which is capable of defence, and an appropriate number of Ukrainian warriors,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that Ukraine should aim for a military of 1.5 million people.

The current size of the Ukrainian army is nearly half that number, he added. To maintain such a large force, Zelenskyy projected the cost would increase from the current $40 billion annually to $60 billion.

The call for a larger military comes as Ukraine continues its ongoing conflict with Russia, which has prompted discussions about the country’s future security arrangements. NATO membership remains a key aspiration for Ukraine, but the prospect of Ukraine joining the alliance in the near future remains uncertain.

Earlier, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth remarked that Ukraine's accession to NATO is "unlikely" in the current geopolitical climate, though he suggested it could theoretically happen in the next 25 years. Speaking at a recent meeting of the Western contact group in Brussels, Hegseth also ruled out the possibility of restoring Ukraine’s 2014 borders as an achievable goal.

US President Donald Trump echoed Hegseth's statements, indicating that the United States’ position reflected a cautious stance toward Ukraine's NATO membership, and pointed to past Western efforts to integrate Ukraine into NATO as one of the key factors behind Russia’s decision to launch a military operation in Ukraine.

By Vafa Guliyeva