Zelensky: Russia is planning an army of 2.5 million people by 2030, Europe needs united forces
By 2030, Russia plans to increase the size of its armed forces to 2.5 million military personnel, while Europe needs to have at least 3 million joint rapid response forces to ensure the security of the continent. This was stated by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the President, the scale of Russia's military plans requires European countries to a systematic and collective response, The EU is a global organisation, not a collection of national solutions.
The proposal of a united European army
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that he had repeatedly appealed to European leaders with the initiative to create a of the joint armed forces of Europe, The Ukrainian government has a number of initiatives that could act as a unified system of deterrence and response to threats.
«I appealed to European leaders with a proposal to create joint armed forces. So far, no one has taken a step towards this idea,» the President noted.
Context.
Against the backdrop of a full-scale war against Ukraine, Russia is actively Increases mobilisation resources, It is expanding its military infrastructure and putting the economy on a war footing. According to Western analysts, the Kremlin is preparing for a long-term confrontation with the West.
At the same time, the issue of creating a unified defence force in Europe remains controversial due to differences in military doctrines, funding and political positions of individual states.
Importance for European security
The President of Ukraine stressed that without real military integration Europe risks remaining vulnerable to large-scale threats from Russia, even with the support of NATO and the United States.
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