Overview
- Zelenskyy made the comments in an online briefing with journalists on Saturday, December 20.
- He said he is holding talks with world leaders on partial external financing for Ukraine’s armed forces.
- He framed partner-backed funding as a security guarantee for the country.
- He linked force requirements to NATO status, recalling his earlier claim that 1.5 million troops would be needed before accession.
- In January he put the armed forces at about 880,000 personnel and called the military Ukraine’s number one security guarantee.