Ukraine should consider lowering the age of military service for its soldiers to 18 years old, a senior US administration official said on Wednesday, putting pressure on Kyiv to bolster its fighting forces in the country’s war with Russia.

Speaking to reporters, the official said Ukraine was not mobilizing or training enough new soldiers for the conflict.

“The need right now is manpower,” he said. “The Russians are in fact making progress, steady progress, in the east, and they are beginning to push back Ukrainian lines in Kursk … Mobilization and more manpower could make a significant difference at this time as we look at the battlefield today.”

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