US President Donald Trump said he would not like to impose sanctions on Russia.
„But if they don't reach an agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine, I will impose huge tariffs. If they don't settle this war soon, almost immediately, I will impose huge tariffs on Russia and huge taxes, and also huge sanctions. You know, they are wonderful people," he said in an interview with Fox News.
At the same time, he again expressed his desire for the conflict in Ukraine to be ended "immediately," without offering specific options for a settlement.
Meanwhile, it became clear that the Ukrainian authorities have almost completed work on a law that will allow young people aged 18 to 25 who have not previously been subject to mobilization to be drafted into the army, the Associated Press reports, citing Zelensky's deputy chief of staff Pavlo Palisa.
“We actually have a huge mobilization resource. In my opinion, it is currently greater than what we need at the moment to solve certain problems on the front line. The mechanism we have at the moment does not allow us to be as effective as we could be," he said.
The plan is aimed at recruiting into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine primarily 18-25 year olds who are currently exempt from mobilization, and will also focus on Ukrainians who are eligible for deferment or have been demobilized.
Former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan previously said that the Ukrainian authorities would have to make a decision to lower the mobilization age to 18. On January 14, in response to calls from Western partners to lower the mobilization age, Zelensky demanded that the Ukrainian armed forces be equipped with equipment and weapons.
Last spring, Zelensky signed a law that lowered the mobilization age in Ukraine from 27 to 25 years.
On Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tykhyy said at a briefing in Kyiv that the issue of further lowering the mobilization age would be discussed with the new US administration.