Presidential Office: Ukraine won’t mobilize 18-year-olds just to secure Western sanctions
Photo: Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not agree to lowering the draft age to 18 in exchange for Western sanctions against Russia, states advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
"The President categorically insists that such a scenario — namely, lowering the mobilization age to 18 — is not possible. The President will definitely not implement this," Podolyak emphasized.
According to him, such conditions from the West are strange, as sanctions have nothing to do with the conscription age in Ukraine.
He reminded that it is impossible to fight Russia solely through mobilization tools. Victory must also come through creativity — something Ukraine is demonstrating.
Podolyak also noted that if strong sanctions are imposed, the flow of money into Russia would significantly decrease, making it unable to mobilize enough people. As a result, there would be fewer Russian soldiers on the battlefield.
"I think Europe is simply trying to justify its unwillingness to give up certain shadow profits — in this case, from business projects with Russia," the advisor to the Head of the President's Office suggested.
West refuses to impose strong sanctions against Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that Western countries are reluctant to introduce tough sanctions against Russia because Ukraine is not conscripting 18-year-old men.
The Head of State emphasized that the key is not the number of people in the army, but technology and weapons. Sanctions are also important.
