Exasperated Zelenskyy bemoans lack of additional sanctions against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that Western allies are withholding further sanctions against Russia until Ukraine lowers its legal conscription age to 18.

In an interview with Valasz Online published on Tuesday, Zelenskyy explained that several partner countries, including the United States, are reluctant to increase support while Ukraine continues to mobilize only men aged 25 and older.

“I do not believe we should mobilize people from the age of 18, as some foreign leaders have suggested,” he said. “However, when it comes to sanctions, our Western partners list reasons for holding back, and one of them is that Ukraine has not lowered the draft age to 18.”

Zelenskyy emphasized that troop numbers are not the most critical factor, highlighting instead the importance of technology and equipment, as demonstrated by Operation ‘Spider Web.’

During the operation, 117 drones were covertly transported into Russia by truck and launched simultaneously, targeting multiple airbases and damaging 41 aircraft — a major blow to Russia’s air capabilities.

The Ukrainian president also stressed that any future sanctions must focus on cutting off Russia’s ability to fund the war.

“Sanctions should go after the money that Russia is using to finance this war,” Zelenskyy concluded.

(QG - Source: Kyiv Independent - Picture : © Unsplash)