Zelenskyy on peace talks: Ukraine will not accept limits on size of its armed forces

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine will not agree to limits on the size of its Armed Forces or to neutral status as part of any potential peace deal.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with TSN-Tyzhden, a Ukrainian TV news show

Quote: "The key aspects are that we cannot talk about our country being neutral. And we should not. Our position essentially aligns with that of the US: we cannot talk about limiting the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces."

Details: Zelenskyy also said that security guarantees for Ukraine could not be dictated by Russia.

"So the conclusions are clear: restrictions on our Armed Forces and Ukraine's neutrality are not up for discussion. The issue of territory is a red line that can only be discussed at the level of leaders," he noted.

Background:

• In early October, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said he was ready to resume peace talks as soon as possible, but on terms acceptable to Russia. He spoke about the occupation of the whole of Donbas, Ukraine's neutral status, security guarantees for Russia and "conditions for lasting peace". Putin also returned to his familiar themes of the Russian language and the church in his answers.
• On 24 October, Zelenskyy said he was ready for a peace deal that would freeze the war along the current line of contact. However, he said Ukraine would not agree to recognise that "the territory which is temporarily occupied will be Russian territory".

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