KYIV—President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree on Tuesday to boost Ukraine’s armed forces by 100,000 troops over three years and raise soldiers’ pay, as European leaders lined up to back him in a standoff with Russia. Zelenskiy urged lawmakers to stay calm and avoid panic, saying he ordered the increase “not because we will soon have a war… but so that soon and in the future there will be peace in Ukraine.” Russia has massed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, while denying plans to invade—an action that the United States and its allies have warned would trigger tough sanctions. Ukraine’s armed forces currently number about 250,000, compared to Russia’s overall strength of around 900,000. Ukraine said it was working with Poland and Britain to strengthen cooperation “in the context of ongoing Russian aggression.” On a visit to Kyiv, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Warsaw would help Ukraine …
RSS Feed | The Epoch Times
