Zelenskyy acknowledges demobilization requests amid lack of reserves

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged numerous requests from military personnel regarding demobilization but emphasized that current laws do not allow for it, as this would lead to the advancement of Russian forces, he said in an interview with Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for the newspaper Il Foglio.

The head of state highlighted that initially, all Ukrainians were focused on defending their country quickly, but as the war has dragged on, it has inevitably worn down everyone involved.

The president noted that while the military has rotations and leaves, these measures are insufficient, and there is a need to improve their quality.

"There are questions about how to return home and not go back to the front. Are there such requests? Certainly, there are. But they are not currently provided for by law. Martial law involves the mobilization of people and all resources available in the country – absolutely all," Zelenskyy stated.

Therefore, he stressed the importance of ending the war as quickly as possible and compelling Russia to do so.

"We are defending ourselves today. If tomorrow, for example, half of the army simply goes home... well, then we should have surrendered on the first day. That’s the reality because if tomorrow half the people return home, [Vladimir] Putin will kill us. Just kill us. All of us," Zelenskyy warned.

He reminded how the Russian army advanced – in all towns and villages where there was resistance, the occupiers destroyed everything and killed those who remained.

In April 2024, legislators removed provisions regulating demobilization from a new mobilization bill.

The Ministry of Defense stated that the parliamentary committee on national security and defense recommended developing a new demobilization bill within eight months.

On December 20, the Ministry of Defense announced that the demobilization bill was nearly ready, but its implementation is impossible without forming new reserves.