Ukraine’s justice minister reacts to claims country must conscript 18-year-olds
Source: Radio Svoboda
Ukraine’s justice minister Olha Stefanyshyna revealed that EU officials tried to feel out if Ukraine is ready to lower the conscription age to 18 during their recent meetings as Brussels wants more clarity on the controversial issue.
Stefanishyna said, “We can’t accept this criticism because it ignores the fact that there is no system in place for planning, training, and equipping our brigades.’
Stefanishyna strongly rejected calls to lower the mobilization age, calling such demands an “unacceptable stance.”
The minister stressed that Kyiv that having troops equipped is far more pressing issue.
“The EU has a major role to play in the training of Ukrainian forces… The potential here is significant; the real issue is planning. With proper planning and equipping, there will be no reason for such discussions about mobilization,” she explained.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.