No drastic downsizing of Ukraine's Armed Forces post-war, says Ukraine's defence minister

There will be no drastic downsizing of Ukraine’s Armed Forces after the war ends, Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal has said. The process will be gradual, "planned and calculated".

Source: Shmyhal during a presentation of the government’s action programme on Monday 18 August, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine

Quote: "After the war ends, Russia will remain an existential threat to Ukraine for a long time, possibly forever. Accordingly, the best guarantee of our security is our strong Armed Forces and security and defence forces, equipped with the best technology, well-trained and well-funded."

Details: Shmyhal said Ukraine is already discussing this with its partners, particularly with regard to the future structure of the Ukrainian military. "First, it must be contract-based and professional. Secondly, it will not be drastically reduced after the war ends; the process will be carefully planned, calculated and gradual," the minister noted.

Shmyhal added that the question of whether the armed forces will number 1 million, 800,000 or some other figure is still being determined. He also noted that talks are ongoing with Ukraine’s partners to establish how large a contingent the Ukrainian Armed Forces needs to reliably protect the eastern flank of Europe and NATO.

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