Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that if a ceasefire deal with Russia is reached, “at least 200,000 European peacekeepers” would be needed in Ukraine to defend the Eastern European country against a possible attack from Russia.
Zelensky, speaking a day after Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency, said Europe should “take care of itself.” He said a minimum number of 200,000 peacekeepers from European countries would be necessary, “otherwise, it is nothing.”
“Let’s not forget that there is no ocean separating European countries from Russia,” Zelensky said in his address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Ukraine’s president said Russia’s demand that Ukraine reduce its military to one-fifth of the current 800,000 is not an option.
Ukraine’s best defense during a ceasefire agreement would be its membership in NATO, Zelensky said. While most European countries support Ukraine’s entry into the alliance, Germany and the US oppose it. Hungary and Slovakia, which are pro-Russian governments, also oppose Ukraine’s entry into NATO.
Zelensky also called on European countries to consider Trump’s recent call for NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP. “If it takes 5% of GDP to cover defence, so be it, 5%.” Zelensky said Europe needs to create a joint security and defense policy.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is seeking a meeting with Trump, who promised before the US election to swiftly end the war between Russia and Ukraine if he wins the US presidency. However, it was never made clear how he would accomplish this.
Russian drone strikes have damaged residential buildings in several parts of central and southern Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.
The strikes were part of an attack that Ukraine’s military said included 131 Russian drones and four ballistic missiles.
Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 72 drones, the Air Force said.
Dnipropetrovsk governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram that Russian strikes damaged homes and a warehouse, injuring one person.
Cherkasy Governor Ihor Taburets said Tuesday that four residential buildings, a school, a shop and a power line were damaged by falling drone fragments.
Poltava Governor Philip Pronin said on Telegram that a drone in his area fell on a house, causing a fire, while fragments of the destroyed drone damaged six residential buildings.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday it destroyed 55 Ukrainian aerial drones, mostly in areas near the Russia-Ukraine border.
Russian air defenses downed 22 drones over Bryansk, 12 drones over Rostov and 10 drones over the Smolensk region, the ministry said.
Other interceptions took place at Voronezh, Saratov and Kursk.
Smolensk Governor Vasily Anokhin said on Telegram that drone debris damaged several residential buildings, while Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a drone attack on a car injured two people.
Some information for this report was received from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
