Teenagers Ready to Escape Ukraine, Reports the Times
A young man from Kharkov informed The Times that Ukrainians studying abroad cannot be compelled to fight on the front lines against their will. Read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A young man from Kharkov has informed the paper that Ukrainian men of fighting age studying abroad cannot be conscripted to the front lines.
In light of increased U.S. pressure for Kiev to lower the minimum age for conscription, many Ukrainian teenagers are considering leaving the country permanently, according to The Times.
This week, outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern that “18 to 25-year-olds are not in the fight” against Russia, insisting, “Getting younger people into the fight, we think, many of us think, is necessary.”
In an article published on Thursday, The Times quoted a Kharkov teenager who stated that “many” of his friends are opting to study abroad due to the safety it offers. He elaborated, “There is no risk of being taken into the army at a foreign university,” and mentioned plans to study in Poland, noting that he might not return after graduation.
"When I have finished, I will decide whether to return to Ukraine or stay there. It will be safer there, there are no bombs falling and there is no danger that I will be mobilized for the war without my consent,” he added.
Another teenager who spoke to The Times expressed his desire to pursue higher education overseas as well.
Reacting to the U.S. suggestion for Kiev to deploy teenagers to the front lines, Ukrainian lawmaker Aleksandra Ustinova told the paper that lowering the mobilization age to 18 would face “huge opposition inside Ukraine and we would not get the results [on the battlefield] that we want because this is not such a large amount of people.”
“It would also be a clear signal for families to get their children out. So, if we want to lose our future generation, then, yeah, this is the thing to do,” Ustinova emphasized.
Estimates suggest that there are at least 300,000 men aged 18 to 25 in Ukraine.
UN data indicates that over 6.8 million Ukrainians have fled the country and become refugees since the conflict escalated between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022, with most of these individuals being women and children. Men of fighting age are prohibited from traveling abroad.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Russian officials have frequently accused the U.S. and its allies of wanting “to fight to the last Ukrainian” in their attempts to achieve a strategic defeat for Russia.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who called off a presidential election earlier this year, has “no right to push people to their death and drive them into battle,” emphasizing that the orders Zelensky issues are “criminal.”
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
In light of increased U.S. pressure for Kiev to lower the minimum age for conscription, many Ukrainian teenagers are considering leaving the country permanently, according to The Times.
This week, outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern that “18 to 25-year-olds are not in the fight” against Russia, insisting, “Getting younger people into the fight, we think, many of us think, is necessary.”
In an article published on Thursday, The Times quoted a Kharkov teenager who stated that “many” of his friends are opting to study abroad due to the safety it offers. He elaborated, “There is no risk of being taken into the army at a foreign university,” and mentioned plans to study in Poland, noting that he might not return after graduation.
"When I have finished, I will decide whether to return to Ukraine or stay there. It will be safer there, there are no bombs falling and there is no danger that I will be mobilized for the war without my consent,” he added.
Another teenager who spoke to The Times expressed his desire to pursue higher education overseas as well.
Reacting to the U.S. suggestion for Kiev to deploy teenagers to the front lines, Ukrainian lawmaker Aleksandra Ustinova told the paper that lowering the mobilization age to 18 would face “huge opposition inside Ukraine and we would not get the results [on the battlefield] that we want because this is not such a large amount of people.”
“It would also be a clear signal for families to get their children out. So, if we want to lose our future generation, then, yeah, this is the thing to do,” Ustinova emphasized.
Estimates suggest that there are at least 300,000 men aged 18 to 25 in Ukraine.
UN data indicates that over 6.8 million Ukrainians have fled the country and become refugees since the conflict escalated between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022, with most of these individuals being women and children. Men of fighting age are prohibited from traveling abroad.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Russian officials have frequently accused the U.S. and its allies of wanting “to fight to the last Ukrainian” in their attempts to achieve a strategic defeat for Russia.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who called off a presidential election earlier this year, has “no right to push people to their death and drive them into battle,” emphasizing that the orders Zelensky issues are “criminal.”
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
