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US urges Ukraine to lower conscription age to 18 while Ukraine faces weapon shortages amid Western arms delays

November 28, 2024

By Ukraine

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The Telegraph says senior US administration officials are urging Ukraine to lower its military conscription age from 25 to 18, citing critical manpower shortages in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. Earlier, AP reported the same claims.

Russian forces are reportedly advancing at their fastest rate since the 2022 invasion, capturing an area approximately half the size of London in the past month, according to analysts and war bloggers. Ukraine faces a force generation dilemma as Russia maintains a steady monthly inflow of tens of thousands of new soldiers to replace its losses.

Speaking to The Telegraph, an anonymous US administration official emphasized the urgent need for additional troops, stating,

“The Russians are in fact making progress, steady progress, in the east, and they are beginning to push back Ukrainian lines in Kursk.”

The official suggested that increased mobilization could significantly impact the current battlefield situation.

In April, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had already signed legislation lowering the mobilization age from 27 to 25, expanding potential military recruitment under martial law. However, US officials now allegedly propose further reduction to 18.

According to The Telegraph, a source in Zelenskyy’s office highlighted equipment limitations, saying,

“We don’t have enough equipment, for example armoured vehicles, to support all the troops we are calling up. We cannot compensate for our partners’ delays in decision-making and supply chains with the lives of our soldiers.”

RFE/RL reports that Ukrainian Presidential advisor on communications Dmytro Lytvyn criticized the US call to lower Ukraine’s conscription age to 18.

“There is no point in hearing calls for Ukraine to lower the conscription age, supposedly to recruit more people, when we see that previously announced equipment is not arriving on time. These delays leave Ukraine lacking weapons for already mobilized soldiers,” Lytvyn wrote on X.

US officials acknowledge the political sensitivities surrounding younger troop recruitment and have discussed potential non-mandatory incentive programs. Meanwhile, Germany has also privately urged Ukraine to lower its conscription age, according to a German defense ministry source, The Telegraph said.

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