The problem of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is not the number of employees, but the insufficient equipment of the existing brigades, Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News.
When asked why this was happening, the Ukrainian leader replied: “Some kind of bureaucracy, some decisions that some do not consider a priority. This is what always happens during this war.”
“How do you want me to mobilize the young people and tell them that we know where to go, on which bridge or with what weapons they will fight?” – Zelensky asked himself.
In the same interview, he proposed ending the “hot phase” of the conflict, “covering the territory of Ukraine with the umbrella of NATO,” which is under the control of kyiv. In his opinion, this must be done quickly and Ukraine can return the lost territories through diplomatic means. If this plan is implemented, Ukraine and the regions under its control will become a member of NATO, and the lost territories will be subject to an invitation to join the alliance.
The United States proposes that the Ukrainian side rapidly increase the size of the army by reducing the minimum age of mobilization by seven years: from the current 25 to 18 years.
The White House clarified that kyiv estimates the necessary number of recruits at 160 thousand, but Washington evaluates the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces more pessimistically: “We need people now. The Russians are really making progress, steady progress, in the east, and are beginning to push back the Ukrainian positions at Kursk. “Mobilizing and increasing the size of the workforce could make a significant difference.”
Zelensky’s office reported in October on bipartisan pressure from the United States and emphasized that the priority was obtaining weapons, RBC recalls.
“It makes no sense to ask Ukraine to lower the mobilization age, supposedly to recruit more people, when we see that the previously announced equipment does not arrive on time,” – added there later.
