The Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security and Defence has not received any requests from the General Staff or the Ministry of Defence to lower the mobilisation age. Yehor Chernyev, deputy chairman of the committee, stated this during an interview on the Adult View programme on LB Live.
Responding to a proposal by Mike Volz, Donald Trump’s nominee for National Security Advisor, to mobilise 18-year-old Ukrainians, Chernyev highlighted delays in weapon deliveries and permissions for long-range strikes on Russian targets. These delays, he said, have cost Ukrainian lives and health, making it unfair to blame “something missing somewhere” on 18-year-olds.
While acknowledging a personnel shortage, Chernyev emphasised that the primary issue lies in the lack of weapons.
“Even now, with the current recruitment level, we don’t always have enough equipment to arm recruits. When there are situations where we have four brigades but cannot deploy them due to a lack of arms, it becomes clear that the main issue is weapons, not human capital,” he explained.
The mobilisation age in Ukraine
- Mike Volz, soon to become the US National Security Advisor, recently remarked that Ukraine needs to address its human resource shortage and consider lowering the mobilisation age. Last November, the Associated Press reported that the White House had pressured Ukraine to lower the age of mobilisation to 18. Concerns about Ukraine’s military shortage have also been voiced by some European partners.
- In early December, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that Ukraine must make “difficult decisions” regarding further troop mobilisation. According to him, this is crucial because “even with money and ammunition, there must be people at the front to resist Russian aggression.”
- President Zelenskyy, however, countered that reducing Russia’s military potential, not lowering the conscription age, should be the priority. He reiterated his aim to “save lives, not stockpile weapons in warehouses.”
- Zelenskyy also stressed that nearly all Ukrainian brigades require resupply with arms, highlighting that the shortage lies in equipment, not soldiers.
- In December, the Verkhovna Rada confirmed that no bill to lower the mobilisation age had been introduced.