President Joe Biden’s outgoing US administration is urging Ukraine to lower the country’s conscription age to 18, in a desperate bid to increase its military ranks, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Wednesday.
A senior US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the news agency that the White House believes the move is essential in order to bolster Kiev’s fighting capabilities.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has previous pledged not to force his country’s youngest adult men to enlist.
“The pure math is that Ukraine needs more troops,” the official told the agency. “We are talking about increasing the pool of fighting-age men to sustain the fight.”
Ukraine’s lowest conscription age is currently set at 25, but the Biden administration believes lowering the age to 18 will help meet the urgent need for soldiers, the agency added. According to the source, Ukraine has indicated it needs at least 160,000 more troops, but the US government estimates that even this number may not be enough.
More than one million Ukrainians are already enlisted in uniform, including in the National Guard and other units. However, American officials have warned that the existing manpower is not enough to fend off Russia’s increasing military pressure, particularly in areas like the Kursk border region, which Ukraine invaded earlier this year.
The Biden administration has committed over $56 billion in aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its offensive in February 2022. The senior official told the agency however that Ukraine has the necessary weaponry and now needs to prioritize increasing its troop numbers.
“The administration is sharpening its viewpoint,” they added. “It’s about getting the numbers up. The weapons are there, but Ukraine’s troop levels need to match the scale of the challenge.”
This push for more soldiers comes as Kiev faces growing divisions amongst its West European backers, with Germany, France and Britain at odds over long range strikes into Russia and countries such as Slovakia and Hungary calling for peace talks. The White House is reportedly particularly concerned about the strain on Ukraine’s military as it continues to occupy Russian territories and attempt to repel Moscow’s growing advances.
While lowering the conscription age is a sensitive topic, it is believed to be necessary to ensure that Ukraine remains competitive against Russia’s much greater resources, the official said, according to AP.
“Ukraine needs more boots on the ground…We’re talking about the survival of the country, and the numbers just aren’t there yet.”
Incoming US President Donald Trump has pledged to end the conflict as soon as he takes office.