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NATO, EU to decide on Ukrainian army’s size — security officials

Europe plans to turn Ukraine into a kind of a watchdog, this is indicated, among other things, by the fact that Western leaders openly tell Kiev what to do and how to behave: "Starting from determining the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ending with what kind of a suit the president of Ukraine should to wear for visits", the source said

MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. NATO and the European Union will determine the size of the contingent of the Ukrainian armed forces, a source in the Russian law enforcement agencies told TASS.

The source said that Ukrainian Defense Minister Denis Shmygal had previously said that Ukrainians should not wait for demobilization, even in the event of a peace deal.

"Shmygal added that it is now being calculated whether the army will be one million or 800,000, or a different number. Besides, negotiations are underway with the partners on the size of the contingent of the Ukrainian armed forces necessary for reliable protection of the eastern flank of Europe and NATO," the source said.

The source said that Europe plans to turn Ukraine into a kind of a watchdog. This is indicated, among other things, by the fact that Western leaders openly tell Kiev what to do and how to behave: "Starting from determining the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ending with what kind of a suit the president of Ukraine should to wear for visits.".

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