The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andriy Hnatov, noted in an interview with LIGA.net that during the negotiations between the Ukrainian and American delegations in Geneva, the issue of reducing the number of servicemen was not raised.
Hnatov emphasized that the conversation focused on the formation of a peacetime army, which sparked numerous discussions and reflections. According to him, both Kyiv and Washington reached an agreement that a capable army will remain the main guarantee of security for Ukraine.
Details of the negotiations
The general stated that the final format of the Ukrainian military, its numbers, financial support, and social guarantees for servicemen are subjects of comprehensive work that should involve all state institutions.
“This work lies not only with the General Staff but also with other government authorities. We need to determine what the Ukrainian military will look like in the post-conflict period,” Hnatov noted.
Changes to the peace plan
It is worth reminding that the recently published draft of the US peace plan excluded provisions regarding limiting the number of the Ukrainian army to 600,000 personnel. The document now states that the army's size will “remain” at a certain level.
It should be noted that the previous version of the peace plan contained conditions that are politically sensitive; however, the new changes have simplified this situation.
Prospects for negotiations
Hnatov emphasized that many issues not directly related to Ukraine were left for further discussion at the level of the presidents of both countries.
Andriy Hnatov also expressed the opinion that a successful outcome of these negotiations will have significant importance for security and stability in the region.
