The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced on Thursday at a press conference that he plans to maintain the Ukrainian Army’s strength at 800,000 soldiers after the end of the war or in the event of a ceasefire, transitioning them to a contract basis and offering them higher salaries.
The announcement was made during a joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, who is on an official visit to Kiev, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
“We will maintain our army – 800,000 soldiers, as discussed, transforming it after the end of the war or after a ceasefire from a mobilized army into a contractual one, for those who wish this,” Zelensky stated.
The President emphasized that soldiers must be incentivized with competitive salaries.
“I gave a task to the new Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov, and I told him what the salary level should be for the front line, where people risk their lives. Even during a ceasefire on the front line, salaries must be much higher. We are discussing this, we will calculate everything and we will see what we can afford,” Zelensky added.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, asserts that ending the war remains Kiev’s absolute priority and says he hopes that peace can be achieved as early as next year, through sustained diplomatic effort.
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