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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