Ukraine dismisses US suggestion to lower draft age - senior official

Ukraine will not lower the age for drafting soldiers in the war against Russia, despite requests from its key ally, the United States, according to a senior Ukrainian official, News.az reports citing foreign media.

"Our position is as transparent as possible: we will not lower the mobilisation age," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP on Thursday.

Mobilisation is a very sensitive topic inside Ukraine.

Army recruiters prowl the streets of major cities and have conducted raids on restaurants and bars in Kiev to check whether fighting-age men have registered with the military authorities.

Zelenskyy this year lowered the minimum age at which men can be drafted from 27 to 25, but is resisting calls to go further.

Last month US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Ukraine "needs to do more, in our view, to firm up its lines in terms of the number of forces it has on the front lines."

News.Az