![A boy uses a Kalashnikov AK47 rifle, during the "Defence of Ukraine" in Lviv, Ukraine, on May 17, 2023.](https://assets.kyivindependent.com/content/images/2025/02/GettyImages-1255487880.jpg)
We asked young Ukrainians what would make them sign up for the armed forces
Ukraine faces a delicate balancing act — mobilizing enough people to fend off the immediate threat posed by Russia's full-scale invasion, and preserving enough of the country's youth to weather longer-term demographic concerns. On top of this, U.S. lawmakers and NATO allies are reportedly urging Ukraine to lower its draft