Moscow would see a large-scale deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine as a direct threat, Aleksey Zhuravlev has said
Russia may announce a new stage of mobilization if NATO deploys a large number of troops in Ukraine, according to a senior MP with a defense-oversight role. His statement follows recent remarks by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky that Kiev would need at least 200,000 Western troops to ensure a ceasefire.
Moscow would consider such a deployment “a direct aggression” against it and would respond accordingly, Aleksey Zhuravlev, the First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee, said last week.
”We could be talking about 200,000 to 400,000 military personnel that Kiev is trying to request. Of course, in that case, we will have to respond in some way,” he warned.
Within the European Union, discussions continue over sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested that European troops could enforce a ceasefire or peace deal, though Zhuravlev expressed hope that the West was “not ready” for such a step.
The MP reiterated that Russia’s primary goal is security. Moscow has offered diplomatic solutions, but some in the West insist on achieving victory on the battlefield.
”Well, try to win, we are ready for it,” he stated.
Past mobilization and recruitment efforts suggest that Russia has significant military reserves. During the first mobilization campaign in 2022, around 300,000 reservists were drafted. In 2023, conscription brought in 277,000 men, while in 2024, nearly 500,000 contractors joined. Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said the pace of recruitment–over 1,000 daily–met the year’s military staffing goals, which Russia intends to maintain in 2025.
Zhuravlev noted that the Russian army continues to enhance mobilization and combat training to respond to threats.
Meanwhile, other Russian officials have stated that a new draft is unnecessary at this time. Senator Aleksey Kondratyev, from Russia’s Kursk region, which saw Ukrainian attacks last year, said the military’s current rate of advancement eliminates the need for additional mobilization. Lieutenant General Viktor Sobolev, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee, echoed this view, citing expected peace talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Trump administration has repeatedly stressed that “the war needs to end” and has halted some Ukraine aid to push for negotiations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated this week that the conflict could end in weeks if Western support to Ukraine is cut off, emphasizing that without weapons and financial aid, Kiev would struggle to sustain military operations.
