Waltz’s statement on lowering draft age in Ukraine has single recipient

“Another thing we need to see is real stabilization on the battlefield. One of the things we will be asking of the Ukrainians is about manpower. 

Right now, they’re drafting starting at 26 years old (actually 25 – editor’s note), not 18. I think many people don’t realize that they could bring in hundreds of thousands of new soldiers.

We hear about morale problems, about issues on the front line. Listen, if Ukrainians are asking everyone to go all-in for democracy, they also need to go all-in for democracy,” Waltz stated.

He added: “This isn’t just about ammunition, equipment, or writing additional checks. It’s about stabilizing the front line so that we can reach some kind of agreement.”

According to Waltz, lowering the mobilization age is necessary to stabilize the front line so that some agreement can be reached.

And now the most important thing. This statement has only one recipient – Zelenskyy. All previous appeals from partners to him regarding mobilization have received no reaction from the President of Ukraine. He does not deal with mobilization and has distanced himself from it. Therefore, the Americans publicly raised the demand – if you don’t want to mobilize those aged 25 and older, then initiate lowering the mobilization age to 18.

“And immediately, society will ask questions – whose children among the friends, stage colleagues, and business partners of Zelenskyy, Yermak, and the Servants of the People are fighting? Whose children among Zelenskyy’s ministers, the Servants of the People, and Zelenskyy’s entourage will be drafted at 18?”

Maybe Ivan Bakanov’s son has already been drafted? Maybe Liza Bogutska’s husband is already serving? Maybe Ruslan Stefanchuk’s son is already preparing to join the assault units? Maybe Shmyhal’s brother remembered about mobilization? Or perhaps the ‘talking heads’ from the Presidential Office?

And if the answers to these questions do not satisfy society, the reaction will be extremely harsh. That is why the Americans are forcing Zelenskyy to work and do his job, despite his reluctance due to a possible drop in ratings. Either he deals with changing society’s attitude to mobilization and ensures compliance with the mobilization norms for those over 25, or he lowers the draft age and receives massive negativity from society and what he has long deserved.

Sorry for being so cynical. But it seems that with our showmen, there is no other way. Zelenskyy has been put at a crossroads. And the evening nasal tones won’t help him this time. He has to make a decision and choose.

Source

About the author: Boryslav Bereza, public figure, former member of the Ukrainian parliament.

The editors don’t always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.