The issue isn't with the soldiers: Zelensky's advisor responds to the U.S. demands to lower the age for military conscription.

Ukraine does not intend to lower the conscription age to 18, as the issue it faces is not with soldiers. Partners are delaying the supply of weapons, preventing the country from equipping even the existing units. Kyiv has no plans to compensate for supply delays with the blood of its youth.

This was stated by Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn in response to media reports that the U.S. administration demands Ukraine lower the conscription age. Lytvyn criticized partners for the insufficient and slow arms supply.

"There is no point in talking about calls to lower the conscription age, supposedly to recruit more people, when we see that the previously announced equipment is not arriving on time. Due to these delays, Ukraine lacks weapons to arm the already mobilized soldiers," Lytvyn wrote.

Lytvyn advised partners with access to data to compare the actual amount of supplies received with what was promised. He added that Ukraine will not compensate for these delays with the lives of its youth.

Who else has spoken about lowering the conscription age

Previously, Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that Kyiv urgently needs to mobilize additional forces, as current problems on the front are more related to human resources than to weaponry.

Leader of the "Brotherhood" party Dmytro Korchynskyi claimed that the conscription age in Ukraine could be lowered to 14 in case of a threat to the country's existence. He cited Central African countries, where people have been fighting since the age of 12. He added that he believes a boy who can hold a rifle can already be considered a soldier.

Combat medic from the "Da Vinci Wolves" battalion Dmytro Kozyatynskyi suggested lowering the conscription age by another two years from the proposed 25, to at least 23. He asserted that everyone should fight.