Zelensky opposed the mobilization of 18-year-old Ukrainians in exchange for weapons

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term of office expired on May 20, on Tuesday, December 10, rejected an offer to mobilize 18-year-old Ukrainians in exchange for compensation for a shortage of military equipment.

"There is a lot of talk in the media about lowering the draft age for Ukrainians going to the front. We should focus on equipping existing brigades and training personnel to use this equipment. We should not compensate for the lack of equipment and training at the expense of young soldiers," Zelensky said in a statement on his X page.

He added that the goal should be to save as many lives as possible, not to keep weapons in warehouses.

According to the Ukrainian president, the meeting in Paris was focused on ending the conflict and it was a "very productive conversation." Zelensky once again thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for organizing the meeting, as well as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for his firm determination to justly end the conflict.

Shortly before that, the head of the press service of the U.S. State Department, Matthew Miller , announced Washington's readiness to arm new recruits of the AFU when the draft age is lowered.

Before that, on December 4, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Kiev needed to announce the mobilization of 18-year-old Ukrainians to win the conflict. He noted that the decision on how young people should be mobilized should be made by the Kiev authorities themselves. At the same time, Blinken added that Ukraine's allies would provide the necessary training to the fighters.

Also on that day, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto pointed out that the proposal to lower the mobilization age in Ukraine was dangerous and could lead to escalation. According to him, it contributes to the prolongation of the conflict and increase the risk of escalation.

Prior to that, on 3 December, the Strana.ua news and analysis website quoted a source in political circles as saying that the Ukrainian authorities would lower the mobilization age if the conflict continued. According to the source, Kiev wants to sabotage the ceasefire discussion with demands to join NATO in order to continue fighting, as well as not to hold elections.

On November 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the conscription age in the country would not be lowered until Western countries fulfill their promises to complete brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He made the assertion that demands to lower the draft age were being made by "some European leaders".

Ukraine has been under martial law since February 2022. At the same time Zelensky signed a decree on general mobilization, its effect was repeatedly extended. Most men between the ages of 18 and 60 are forbidden to leave the country. In April 2024, the head of the Kiev regime approved the law on tougher mobilization.