Batbricks7

The US, which hasn't send a single boot to the ground while propping up Ukraine with military aid, now wants Ukrainians as young as 18 to fight the war against Russia.

The Joe Biden administration is urging Ukraine to lower the minimum age for conscription for Ukrainians to 18, according to US media reports.

This is taking place even as the US is planning to send more arms to Ukraine, worth $725 million.

President Volodymir Zelenskyy is meanwhile going to raise taxes for Urkainians in order to improve funding for the war.

Citing a senior US offcial, the Associated Press news agency reported on Wednesday (Nov 27) that the request to lower draft age is being made so that Ukraine can increase the size of its military.

The current conscription age for Ukraine is 25.

The age-lowering request is part of last-minute efforts for Ukraine, before Biden leaves office in January 2025. 

The new $725 million weapons package is another part of that effort, and will likely include land mines, drones, Stinger anti-air missiles, Himars ammuition among other things, according to the AP report.

For context, the new military aid worth $725mn is far bigger than what Biden has so far spent using the PDA, or Presidential Drawdown Authority, for helping allies.

A report in The Guardian noted that recent PDAs were between $125mn to $250mn. 

So far, the US Congress had authorised up to $5 billion in PDA that Biden can use before Donald Trump takes over as president on 20 January, it noted.

Since the Russian operation started in 2022, the US has sent and estimated $56 bn security aid to Russia. 

Trump had vowed to end the war. This is being seen as a sign that the Republican would stop giving military aid to Ukraine.

The AP report cited the official as saying that the ground situation 'pure math' shows Ukraine simply needs more troops on the ground, noting that Kyiv is not mobilising or taining enough troops in place of soldiers it had lost.

Meanwhile Russia is growing its troop strength, in addition to taking help from North Korea, which reportedly sent some 10,000 troops to help Moscow in the Ukreaine war.

The White House assessment is that Ukraine has the required weapons, but not enough soldiers, unless it dramatically increases troop levels.

Earlier, White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the US administration believes 'manpower is the most vital need' of Ukraine now.

“We’re also ready to ramp up our training capacity if they take appropriate steps to fill out their ranks,” Savett said in a statement.

As per Kyiv's estimates, Ukraine which has more than 1 million soldiers, needs 160,000 more, but the US thinks that's not enough.

The lack of troop presence might make it difficult for Ukraine to fight in Kursk region, bordering Russia, in the US estimate.

The Ukraine parliament had passed a law to lower the age from 27 to 25 in April. Since then, thousands have gone into hiding to avoid draft, according to reports.

Zelenskyy has often pushed back against lowering the age of conscription.

Domestic backlash and potential harm to Ukraine's economy could be part of the reasons.

There have often been reports of deserters and people going absent without leave.

So far, Ukraine had maintained that there's just not enough equipment to match the mobilisation.

The AP report cited an Ukrainian official who accused the West of trying to shift focus to draft age, away from their delays or late decisions in giving equipment.