Ukrainian president urges Europe to unite militarily

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Europe should consider establishing joint armed forces in response to the growing threat from Russia.

Speaking during an online conversation with journalists, he argued that Russia plans to expand its military to between 2 and 2.5 million personnel by 2030, which would require a coordinated European response, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media. 

Zelenskyy emphasised that while each European country must retain its own sovereign army, a united European force should be capable of countering Russian aggression. In his view, such joint armed forces should number around three million troops.

He noted that he had presented this proposal to European leaders at least a year ago but expressed disappointment that no concrete steps had been taken since then. He suggested that the current security challenges facing Europe might prompt leaders to reconsider the idea.

During the same online briefing, Zelenskyy also addressed reports concerning the possible deployment of Ukrainian troops to Greenland. He ruled out such a move, citing Ukraine’s ongoing full-scale war with Russia, the absence of any request from Denmark, and Ukraine’s non-membership in NATO.

The president stressed that decisions regarding troop deployments are particularly sensitive during wartime, adding that all Ukrainian forces are currently engaged on the front lines. He said that Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, had not raised the issue with him, which he attributed to a general understanding that Ukraine is not a NATO member and has not been admitted to the alliance.

By Sabina Mammadli