Russia is “forming new divisions” and expanding the number of facilities making weapons and equipment, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, claiming this indicated Moscow had little appetite for entering peace talks with Kyiv.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump swept back into power in November, pledging to end the largest land conflict in Europe since World War II in just 24 hours.
Since his inauguration last month, he has been unable to produce a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal for Ukraine, but has indicated efforts are underway to get both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin around the negotiating table.
What To Know
Trump told the New York Post on Saturday that he had spoken to Putin, after he remarked earlier in the week he would likely meet Zelensky in the coming days. The Kremlin skirted around confirming the conversation in comments reported by state media on Sunday, but has previously said Russia is open to talks.
Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukrainian intelligence reports “confirm that Russia is forming new divisions and developing new military production facilities.”
Russia’s former Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, said in early 2023 that Russia would build up its armed forces, creating 14 new divisions by the end of 2024.
The U.S.-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Saturday it wasn’t clear whether Zelensky’s comments referenced Shoigu’s remarks.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
Intelligence reports confirm that Russia is forming new divisions and developing new military production facilities.Their cooperation with North Korea will continue to expand. Moscow is also spreading modern warfare technologies to the region, particularly drone technologies.… pic.twitter.com/2r5Uw4IdGQ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 8, 2025
“Such Russian plans suggest that Russia, not Ukraine, is the party refusing good-faith negotiations and actively pushing for protracted war rather than peace, while also setting conditions to prepare for a potential broader conflict with NATO,” the ISW said.
“They are now increasing their army by more than a hundred thousand soldiers,” Zelensky said, saying this showed the Kremlin was not looking to end the nearly three years of war, but to carry on military pushes, and “not only against Ukraine.”
Putin said in September 2024 that Russia’s army would swell by 180,000 soldiers to reach 1.5 million active troops.
Russia pulls together its military from a number of sources. The majority of soldiers are conscripted, typically serving around a year, but Moscow also gets a significant chunk of personnel signing up to contracts with the ministry of defense. The Kremlin also has access to reservists, which can be mobilized when needed.
Moscow has used separatists in eastern Ukraine, forces from the Russian republic of Chechnya, which is led by firm Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov, and mercenary fighters like those belonging to the Wagner Group to fill out its fighting ranks.
Convicts incarcerated in Russia, or those otherwise sent to what are known as “punishment units” or “Storm-Z” squads, have been heavily involved in fighting.
Russia has also had foreign nationals join up to fight on its behalf, offering what may be seen as competitive salaries and Russian citizenship.
Who Said What
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in comments reported by state media on Sunday that “as the administration in Washington unfolds its work, many different communications arise.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how quickly Trump’s efforts will pay off, and what it would take for Moscow and Kyiv to ink a ceasefire.
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