Ukraine will not agree to Russian demands that it drastically reduces the size of its military in a future peace agreement, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Zelensky warned that Russian president Vladimir Putin would demand that Ukraine reduce its military five-fold.

Volodymyr Zelensky has said European nations need to work together to defend their continent, and not wait for the Trump administration, at a time when it is under attack by Russia.

“Europe must establish itself as a strong, global player, as an indispensable player,” the Ukrainian president said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“Let’s not forget there is no ocean separating European countries from Russia. European leaders should remember these battles involving North Korean soldiers are now happening in places geographically closer to Davos than Pyongyang,” Mr Zelensky said.

“Does anyone in the United States worry that Europe might abandon them someday – might stop being their ally? The answer is no,” Mr Zelensky said.

The war-time president said that Europeans needed to devise a united security and defence policy and alluded to a pre-inauguration remark by Mr Trump, who proposed a massive hike in defence spending for Nato members to 5 per cent of GDP.

“If it takes 5 per cent of GDP to cover defence, then so be it, 5 per cent it is. And there is no need to play with people’s emotions that defence should be compensated at the expense of medicine or pensions – that’s not fair,” Mr Zelensky said.

Volodymyr Zelensky has said at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would be needed to prevent a new Russian attack after any ceasefire deal as part of security guarantees for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland, also urged European leaders to do more to defend the continent.

“From all the Europeans? 200,000, it’s a minimum. It’s a minimum, otherwise it’s nothing,” Mr Zelensky said when asked about the idea of a peacekeeping contingent on an interview panel after delivering his speech.

That number is around the size of the entire French armed forces, estimated at just over 200,000 by France’s defence ministry in 2020. Mr Zelensky said at least that number would be needed as a security guarantee if Russia’s armed forces totalled 1.5 million personnel and Ukraine had only half that number.

The prospect of a rapid settlement has focused minds in Kyiv and Europe on the urgent need for security guarantees to prevent any future Russian attack, with the idea of a peacekeeping force being discussed.

One area where the Trump administration and Labour are likely to clash is on defence spending. The president has said he feels the US spends more on defence than most Nato countries, calling for a new target of fie per cent GDP.

This is up considerably from the current two per cent target. The UK currently pledges 2.3 per cent, with intentions ro raise it to 2.5 per cent by this year. Given the tight economic contraints outlined by the Treasury, it’s unlikely calls to increase this futher would be welcomed by UK officials.

The president has also said he would like to bring the war in Ukraine to a speedy end – and will now be able to use the US’s massive expenditure on Zelensky’s forces as a bargaining chip in discussions.

But some of his comments have prompted concern that Mr Trump may cede key Russian demands as part of a deal. This could include granting Vladimir Putin’s regime large regions of the country, or deferring Ukraine’s Nato membership bid. The incoming president has previously said that he “understands [Russia’s] feelings” about having “somebody right on their doorstep.”

If the war in Ukraine does move from military support to a possible peacekeeping operation, the prime minister has said that the UK will play “full part” in the plans.