Russia failed to break Ukraine’s army on the battlefield, and now it’s trying to do it through a peace plan that would cap Ukraine’s forces at 600,000. Some argue that Ukraine would shrink its army — currently estimated at about 800,000 — after the war anyway. So why does Ukraine see this as a major risk? The Kyiv Independent’s Yullia Taradiuk explains why the cap matters and what Ukraine’s post-war defense options really look like. Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from