Kiev has informed the United States that accepting limits on the size of its armed forces or the overall readiness of its army will be a red line, a senior Ukrainian official said on Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to negotiate an end to the war with Russia, Reuters reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that he wants to reduce the size of the Ukrainian army, for Kyiv to abandon its ambitions to join NATO, and for Moscow to have full control over four Ukrainian regions it claims – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. Plus Crimea.
"This is a principled position of Ukraine - no one, and certainly not the aggressor country Russia, will dictate to Ukraine what kind of armed forces it should have," said the senior official, Pavlo Palisa, in an interview with Reuters.
Palisa is the deputy chief of President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration and was part of the Ukrainian delegation that met with American officials at talks in Saudi Arabia last month.
Russia is laying the groundwork
A well-prepared Ukrainian army would be the best security guarantee for Kyiv against new Russian attacks if and when a ceasefire or peace agreement is reached, he said.
"I can assume based on what Russia is guided by - maybe it wants to prepare to make it easier in the future, but no. Our task is to learn the lessons of the past well," Palisa added.
During an initial meeting with American officials in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed unconditional 30-day ceasefire, after which Washington resumed military aid and information exchange with Kyiv after a brief pause.
But Russia stated that crucial conditions must be met before a ceasefire can be reached. The parties then separately agreed to cease each other's attacks on the other's energy facilities, but have since accused each other of violating the agreements.
Kyiv says it could hold a new round of talks with American officials next week.
Ukrainian officials claim they have provided the U.S. with evidence of Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Kyiv is abiding by the agreement, Palisa said.
The Trump administration has pushed for a swift end to the large-scale war launched by Russia in February 2022, but a lasting peace agreement seems far from imminent.
Fighting continues, and the chief commander of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Sârski, has stated that a new Russian offensive is already underway in northeastern Ukraine. Russia controls approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine will never recognize the annexation of its territories
In addition to the issue of the size of its armed forces, Ukraine has stated that it will never recognize Russia's sovereignty over the annexed Ukrainian regions, although it has publicly acknowledged that it will not be possible to recover some of the occupied territory by force.
Aside from maintaining a strong Ukrainian army, Palisa emphasized the importance of security guarantees from American and European partners of Kyiv, which could help deter future Russian attacks.
The United States has not committed to providing security guarantees, although some European powers have discussed a "coalition of volunteers" that could deploy a troop contingent to bolster deterrence.
Palisa expects Russia to intensify its attacks at the end of this month and in May.
The same Ukrainian official stated that, in his opinion, Russia will focus its offensive on the city of Pokrovsk (in the east), but could also attack on the fronts near Kupiansk and Lyman (east), as well as in Zaporizhzhia and Novopavlivka (southeast).
However, "the absolute priority for the Russians, in my opinion, will now be the direction of Pokrovsk," he said.
Russian forces have attempted to encircle the strategically important city of Pokrovsk to achieve their goal of taking full control over the Donetsk region.
Only uncertainties come from America
Meanwhile, Kyiv faces uncertainty regarding the future of American military aid. The lack of new support could eventually impact the provision of missiles for its Patriot anti-aircraft defense systems, as well as for its offensive HIMARS and ATACMS systems.
Palisa stated earlier this month that Ukraine has not yet discussed additional aid with the U.S., but the issue could be raised as ceasefire negotiations continue.
Ukraine is investing resources in developing its own anti-aircraft defense, he said, adding that several countries have agreed to transfer licenses and technical documentation for the production of "certain equipment" in the country.
"The process is ongoing and quite dynamic," he said.