In case of ceasefire, military will be motivated to stay in service by high salaries - Zelenskyy

Ukraine will not resort to a massive reduction of the army in the event of a possible ceasefire. On the contrary, servicemen will be encouraged to stay in the service by high salaries.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this at a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

According to him, Ukraine needs to maintain a motivated and combat-ready army, which should be about 800,000 people.

"We will protect our army of 800,000 and encourage it with high salaries, including on the first line during the ceasefire," Zelenskyy said.

The preservation of the army of this size is dictated primarily by the need to maintain defense at the proper level and prevent the outflow of personnel.

The President added that the issue of financial support for servicemen will become one of the stages of a broader strategy for the transformation of the army in the event of a transition to a fully contractual form.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on January 14, President Zelenskyy said that the Ministry of Defense will present a solution to the problems that have accumulated around the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers.