U.S. officials stress importance of sending more troops to war
In Washington, the Washington Post stressed that there is “growing dissatisfaction” with the actions of Ukrainian politicians. This concerns the lack of a decision on changing the draft age. Currently, Ukrainians must be at least 25 years old to fight. American officials have suggested that 18-year-olds should also protect their country.
The arms supply to Ukraine stems from Joe Biden's concerns that President-elect Donald Trump will withhold U.S. aid to Kiev after taking office, The Washington Post reported on Monday.
The current U.S. administration wants to transfer billions of dollars' worth of weapons to the Ukrainians, but “some people in the administration believe that no matter what Washington does, we will never get more soldiers.” We believe that without them, Kiev's military would be left behind, “who will be able to continue the fight?'' says the American editorial team.
The Washington Post added that there is “growing frustration” with Ukrainian leaders who oppose lowering the draft age from 25 to 18.
Draft age in Ukraine. Issues regarding compensation of losses
Last week, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby emphasized that while arms and equipment are critical for Ukraine, the human potential on the front lines is just as important at this time. “If they take appropriate steps to replenish their ranks, we are ready to increase our training capacity,” he told reporters.
See: Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Colleagues about Zelensky's “starting point”
“Especially in the last year, we haven't mobilized or trained enough troops to make up for our losses on the battlefield,” a senior Biden administration official told The Washington Post.
In April, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy lowered the military draft age in Ukraine from 27 to 25. With more conscripts in Kiev, more Ukrainian soldiers could be trained in Western countries, U.S. officials said.
Source: “Washington Post”
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