Ukraine will not agree to any restrictions on its armed forces' size or combat readiness as part of negotiations with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky's Deputy Chief of Staff Pavlo Palisa told Reuters in an interview published on April 10.
"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 Ukraine should have," he said.
The well-trained Ukrainian military remains the strongest safeguard against future Russian aggression, the official reiterated.
"I can guess what the Russian Federation is guided by — maybe they want to prepare, to make it easier for themselves in the future, but no. Our task is to learn the lessons (of the past) well," he said.
Kyiv has formally communicated its stance to Washington, according to Palisa.
The remarks come amid a fragile partial ceasefire covering strikes on energy infrastructure and the Black Sea, brokered in U.S.-mediated talks in Saudi Arabia on March 11.
Kyiv had agreed to a full 30-day ceasefire, but Moscow rejected the proposal on March 13 unless it included restrictions on Ukraine's military and an end to foreign military aid.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly remains unwilling to compromise in peace talks, complicating U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to secure a settlement.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 9 that the U.S. would hold further ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and Russia in separate meetings in the coming weeks.
"I believe that certain time limits will provide opportunities to put pressure on Russia. If you have a ceasefire for an unclear period — it is a frozen conflict," the president said.
Trump, who has taken on a mediation role, said on April 7 he was "not happy" with Russia's intensified bombardments across Ukraine.
NBC News reported on March 30 that Trump was "pissed off" at Putin's personal animosity toward Zelensky, while the Telegraph wrote on March 23 that he was increasingly angry over Russia's refusal to de-escalate the war.
Despite expressing frustration, Trump has so far avoided imposing any major sanctions or taking punitive action against Moscow.
Chris York
(Updated: )
