The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine refutes information about army downsizing: what was discussed with the USA.

According to ТСН: The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov stated that during negotiations between the Ukrainian and American delegations in Geneva, the issue of reducing the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was not discussed.

Hnatov shared this in an interview with LIGA.net:

“There was no discussion about downsizing the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The discussions were about perspectives regarding the size of the Armed Forces in peacetime. This is a very debatable topic”

He emphasized that Kyiv and Washington have a shared understanding: the foundation of Ukraine's security remains a well-equipped and combat-ready army.

Hnatov also noted that the final model of the Ukrainian military will determine the approaches to motivating servicemen to stay in service after active hostilities cease.

The Importance of a Comprehensive Approach

According to him, this is a comprehensive task that requires the involvement of all state institutions:

“It is necessary to understand what the Ukrainian military will look like, its size, financial support, social guarantees for servicemen, and many other issues. This work is not only within the competence of the General Staff”

Hnatov added that a working vision of the future model of the army has already been created in the General Staff, and the corresponding document is currently under development.

Moreover, it was previously reported that the special representative of President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, held a brief phone call with Yuriy Ushakov, the chief advisor to President Putin of Russia on foreign policy. He advised on how Moscow should propose to Trump a plan regarding Ukraine.

It was also mentioned that President Donald Trump expressed optimism about the prospects of concluding an agreement concerning the war in Ukraine.

The discussion of the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the negotiations in Geneva demonstrates attention to security and stability issues in the region. The next steps will determine not only the military structure but also social programs for servicemen, which are important for maintaining the army's combat readiness. The situation around Ukraine remains relevant on the international stage, and the joint agreements between Kyiv and Washington could significantly influence the course of events.