Trump Advisor Urges Ukraine to Lower Draft Age to 18 Before Talks with Russia

Jan 12, 2025, 06:17 PM

President-elect Donald Trump's incoming National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, has suggested that Ukraine should lower its conscription age to 18 to address manpower shortages and stabilize the front lines in its conflict with Russia. Speaking in an interview with ABC News, Waltz stated that Kyiv faces serious human resource problems and that reducing the draft age could help Ukraine generate "hundreds of thousands of new soldiers." He emphasized that if Ukraine is asking the entire world to support democracy "all-in," then it should act accordingly. Waltz indicated that stabilizing the front is necessary ahead of possible negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The proposed lowering of the mobilization age may become a condition for continued military aid from the United States to Ukraine. Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also called for lowering the conscription age, stating, "If your time has come, you must accept this challenge with dignity."