Man this story is a confused mess. It’s like detailed descriptions of how the call up would happen and how many people are needed. Then every third paragraph completely negates everything:
However, a spokesman later clarified that no call-up was being considered.
“We are still discussing what should happen if they don’t come voluntarily,” he said.
But later a spokesman for the ministry appeared to deny any kind of coercion was involved, and said “accents were shifted” in the interview.
“There is no discussion on the agenda of a call-up from abroad,” Illarion Pavlyuk said, quoted by Ukrainian media.
Uh… what?
It’s called “click bait.”
It almost seems like they’d written the article then later officials said the opposite so they just wove that into the story instead of changing it.
I think the headline might be the opposite of what’s actually happening. But I’m not 100%.
That would make sense
It might also be Russian propaganda - making the Ukrainians look desperate makes Putin look less incompetent.
My understanding of the current situation on the ground is that the opposite problem actually exists - Ukraine has manpower, but they desperately need ammunition and other support equipment.
President Zelenskyy has discussed that the military raised the issue of mobilizing another 500,000 troops. Doing so would likely give them considerably greater flexibility at the front lines.
And also allow troops to be trained early and thoroughly.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Ukrainian men between the ages of 25 and 60 living abroad will be asked to report for military service, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has said.
Kyiv has also seen setbacks in provisions of aid, with US Republicans blocking a $61bn (€55bn; £48bn) military package and Hungary stopping an EU financial deal worth €50bn ($55bn; £43bn).
In an interview for the media outlets Die Welt, Bild and Politico, Mr Umerov described the recruitment drive as “not a punishment” but “an honour”.
The defence minister said that it was important to be fair, informing mobilised men how they would be trained and equipped, when and where they would serve and when they would be discharged.
Mr Zelensky suggested in his end-of-year news conference on Tuesday that there were currently 500,000 Ukrainian troops at the front.
Currently conscripts and volunteers are obliged to serve until the end of the war, and are only allowed 10 days’ leave a year.
The original article contains 432 words, the summary contains 156 words. Saved 64%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
