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Zelenskyy Insists US Troops Must Join Peacekeeping Force in Ukraine


U.S. troops must be a part of any Ukraine peacekeeping mission, as stated by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Bloomberg.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized on Wednesday that any international peacekeeping force involved in a future peace agreement in Ukraine should include American troops.

Zelenskyy made these remarks during an interview with Bloomberg on Jan. 22 in Davos, Switzerland, where he explicitly called for an international peacekeeping force to secure a potential cease-fire with Russia.

Zelenskyy mentioned that the troops involved in such a mission would not have an easy time and would be in a conflict zone with potential risks. He specified that some of these soldiers must be American.

“It can’t be without the United States,” Zelenskyy highlighted to Bloomberg. “Even if some European friends think that it can be, no, it will not be. First of all, nobody will risk without the United States.”

During a separate media briefing in Davos, Zelenskyy informed reporters that a contingent of at least 200,000 international soldiers would be necessary to ensure Ukraine’s security with a potential cease-fire with Russia. Zelenskyy warned that without such guarantees, it would only be a matter of time before Russia invades again.

“We need contingents with a very strong number of soldiers,” Zelenskyy stated. “Two hundred thousand is the minimum.”

Zelenskyy previously emphasized that any cease-fire without security guarantees for Ukraine would give Russia the opportunity to rearm for future offensives. He stressed the importance of the United States in providing these guarantees.
Zelenskyy’s statements in Switzerland coincided with President Donald Trump increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in negotiations and quickly resolve the Ukraine war. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, urged Putin to settle the conflict promptly to avoid facing additional punitive measures.

“I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin a very big favor,“ Trump wrote. ”Settle now, and stop this ridiculous war! It’s only going to get worse. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”

Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy expressed Moscow’s need for more specific details regarding Trump’s proposed deal to end the war in Ukraine. Polyanskiy highlighted that addressing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis is crucial.

Polyanskiy’s comments align with those made by Putin during a recent meeting of Russia’s Security and Defense Council. The Russian leader expressed readiness to engage in discussions with the Trump administration to repair strained U.S.-Russia relations, focusing on resolving the underlying issues of the Ukraine crisis.

Sharing Zelenskyy’s stance, Putin emphasized that the goal of the talks should be establishing long-term peace based on respect for all people in the region.

Previously, Putin outlined his demands to end hostilities, including Ukrainian troop withdrawals from contested areas, Ukraine adopting a neutral stance, demilitarization, and lifting Western sanctions.

Zelenskyy had proposed a “victory plan” that involved significant gains on the battlefield and the use of Western-supplied weapons to target deeper into Russia. However, Trump has opposed this approach, focusing instead on negotiated settlements.

During his campaign, Trump pledged to utilize his relationships with Putin and Zelenskyy to facilitate negotiations for a swift resolution to the conflict.

In his final months in office, former President Joe Biden increased military aid to Ukraine, aiming to strengthen Kyiv’s position during negotiations.



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