US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in an interview with "Reuters" that Ukraine should consider the possibility of recruiting young men aged 18 to 25 into the ranks of their armed forces. According to him, having enough fighters at the front, along with weapons and ammunition, is the key to success.
"These are very difficult decisions," Blinken said during the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. He stressed that Kiev must take "difficult decisions on further mobilization". In response to a question from the BBC, Blinken added: "For example, we think it is necessary to involve young people in military action. Currently, those between the ages of 18 and 25 do not participate in combat."
The statement comes amid reports in Western media that Ukraine's allies are calling for the conscription age to be lowered from 25 to 18 to fill a shortage of servicemen in the Ukrainian armed forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, recently emphasized that the main problem facing the country is the shortage of Western weapons, not military personnel. "Ukraine's armed forces need more modern equipment to effectively continue defensive and offensive operations," he said.