The Biden administration is quietly encouraging Kiev to reduce its conscription age from 25 to 18 so it can expand the country’s military ranks, following recent Russian advances in the eastern region of the war-torn nation, according to a report by The Associated Press.
A senior White House official informed the news outlet that, despite the significant increase in Western lethal aid bolstering Ukrainian defenses, the assistance has not been enough to replace fallen soldiers at a pace capable of counterbalancing the size of Russia’s much larger ground forces.
The proposal has faced resistance by Ukraine’s leaders, who argue there is inadequate equipment and infrastructure to support additional troops, along with concerns about the economic impact of removing younger workers from an already strained economy.
In April, lawmakers lowered the draft age from 27, removed several service exemptions, and increased penalties for enlistment evasion.
More than 1 million Ukrainians are estimated to be serving in some capacity within the armed forces.
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