Foreign troops in Ukraine cannot be the sole guarantee of security, according to Zelensky.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a European contingent on Ukrainian territory could be part of security guarantees, but it cannot be the sole guarantee, as that would be insufficient.

Zelensky made this remark to journalists following his meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

He mentioned that discussions regarding foreign troops currently revolve around "general issues." The topic is set to be discussed with the leader of the United Kingdom and has been raised with Baltic partners. However, the president emphasized the need for a "comprehensive map of guarantees," where the foreign military contingent could be included.

"The question is what kind of contingent it will be, from which countries, what the quantitative and qualitative composition will be, and where it will be located. This is not just a showcase story, but real capability," Zelensky stated.

He stressed that this should primarily involve instructors with extensive training programs for Ukrainian military personnel on Ukrainian soil.

Zelensky added that it will also be necessary to consider the capabilities of the Ukrainian army and the defense sector.

"Even after the war, we need to understand who we are dealing with. There are currently about 600,000 Russian troops on Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian army numbers 880,000, but they are defending the entire territory... In some areas, the Russians have a numerical advantage. When the war ends, we need to understand what the contingent from other countries will be and what the Ukrainian army will look like. It is this large army that is currently holding back the enemy," Zelensky explained.

He added that part of the agreements should include how to maintain a large Ukrainian army, which the president currently referred to as "the only guarantee of security."

In addition, the issue of weapons should be included in the security guarantees. According to Zelensky, Ukrainian production currently covers 33-34% of all weapons needed in Ukraine, while about 30% comes from Europe and around 40% from the USA.

Zelensky indicated that currently, Russia produces or possesses more military equipment than Ukraine in many aspects. This is despite Europe having more military-oriented factories. The president believes that Europe can increase its production by 2-3 times.

"Why does Europe produce less today? How can it produce more? By giving more contracts to its domestic producers and its people. They will pay taxes in their countries. I believe it is easier for Europe to produce more weapons today than for Russia, although Russia may be faster," Zelensky remarked.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that Ukraine is ready to consider the proposal from French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory before joining NATO.