Umerov: demobilization is possible only after the end of the war
According to him, the details of the new draft law on mobilization will be known in the coming days
Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov gave an interview to Suspilne TV channel, in which he stated that demobilization in the country will be possible only after the war is over.
"We can use the word 'demobilization' only after the war is over," Umerov said.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is preparing a draft law that will clarify the issues of mobilization, demobilization and postponement of conscription, he added. According to him, the details of the document will be known in the coming days.
"This will be a huge cluster of decisions that have been accumulating over the past two years," he said of the draft law. "In general, our goal is to change the paradigm so that service is not perceived as a punishment.
Currently, Ukraine needs to understand how to return the territories seized by Russia, he emphasized.
"In this regard, mobilization, demobilization, deferment, social protection – these issues need to be clarified or changed. If the society raises these questions to the military and officials, we must take time to work on them and give answers," Umerov said.
"First, we need to understand what mobilization is, because we have demonized these processes. Unfortunately, we have a perception that serving the country is a punishment. For me, it is an honor. These ideological things need to be changed: both approaches and formats," he emphasized.
"We have 3.5 thousand kilometers of line that we have to defend. There are stabilization actions, defensive actions, and counter-offensives. I won't go into details, but the top leadership just wanted to give an answer to society. If the military says to the Cabinet: "Please give us a certain number of people," the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada naturally ask what we will do with those who are already serving and what will the people we want to mobilize do? That is why we have started consultations and society will have answers to these questions in this draft law," Umerov said.
During a press conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the military had asked him to mobilize 450-500 thousand people.
He noted that he had offered them to finalize the plan so that it would take into account not only the conscription of new soldiers, but also the demobilization of those who had served for about two years.
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