The White House said Ukraine must recruit more soldiers for the war against Russia, including by lowering the draft age, as a lack of manpower rather than weapons is the country’s most pressing need.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government should consider lowering the recruitment age to 18 from 25 to create a much-needed pipeline of new troops to rotate into the front lines, a senior administration official told reporters Wednesday.
The message is the clearest signal yet of impatience from the US and its allies over Zelenskiy’s reluctance to recruit younger soldiers. The Ukrainian leader has said that there’s no need to lower the draft age, an idea which had been pushed by allies in response to his request for security and economic guarantees he deemed the country’s “victory plan.”
Zelenskiy’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment sent outside normal business hours in Kyiv.
With less than two months in office, the Biden administration has also sought to strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities before President-elect Donald Trump takes over.
Trump has pledged to wind down the war quickly, and even Zelenskiy has said the conflict needs to end next year. It’s still unclear, however, how that will play out as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces steadily push further into Ukraine.
The official said discussions have begun with the incoming Trump team but couldn’t comment on what the new administration is planning.
White House spokesman John Kirby, in a statement on Wednesday, offered reassurances that the Biden administration’s commitment remained intact. “We’re absolutely going to keep sending Ukraine weapons and equipment. We know that’s vital,” he said. “But so, too, is manpower at this point. In fact, we believe manpower is the most vital need they have. So, we’re also ready to ramp up our training capacity if they take appropriate steps.”
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The Biden official said the administration in its final days intends to provide thousands of artillery rounds and rockets, as well as hundreds of missile interceptors, vehicles and other weapons systems using funds already appropriated by Congress.
Ukraine has maintained that it still requires weapons and equipment for its current soldiers. Zelenskiy said in a Nov. 19 speech that the defense ministry must create incentives for citizens under 25 to join the war effort, but repeated there are no plans to change the draft age.
“Let there be no speculation,” he said, “our state is not preparing to lower the mobilization age.”
