• Ukraine’s recruitment program offering $24,000 bonuses fails to attract young volunteers, with fewer than 500 signing up.
• President Zelensky resists lowering the draft age despite severe troop shortages and battlefield losses.
• Ukraine’s military struggles with poorly trained recruits as commanders report high casualties due to tactical errors.
• Western aid is increasingly diverted to recruitment incentives rather than weapons, raising doubts about Ukraine’s long-term sustainability.
• Russia’s larger army and steady conscription contrast with Ukraine’s worsening manpower crisis, pushing the war toward a stalemate.

As Russia consolidates its forces and replenishes its ranks with fresh conscripts, Ukraine is struggling to entice its own young men to fight—even with unprecedented financial incentives.

The “Contract 18-24” program, offering a $24,000 sign-on bonus, free education, and mortgage benefits, has drawn fewer than 500 volunteers since its February launch. The disappointing response underscores a grim reality: Ukraine’s youth increasingly view the war as unwinnable, and Western-backed efforts to sustain the fight may be faltering.

The costly gamble on young soldiers

Ukraine’s military leadership had hoped the lucrative package would appeal to 18-to-24-year-olds, who are not yet subject to mandatory conscription. Deputy Head of the President’s Office Pavlo Palisa admitted that while there was initial interest, “less than 500 contracts have been signed to date.” Many applicants backed out at the last moment, deterred by parental pressure or the false hope that peace was imminent. “Sometimes parents have an influence,” Palisa said. “Somewhere, they thought that peace was about to come, and they no longer need to.”

The program’s failure highlights a deeper crisis. Unlike the early days of the war, when volunteers flooded recruitment centers, Ukraine now faces a populace wary of joining a grinding conflict with no end in sight. Though officials claim about 1,500 are still considering the offer, the low sign-up numbers suggest financial incentives alone may not be enough to offset the fear of death or disfigurement.

Leadership under scrutiny

President Volodymyr Zelensky has resisted calls from Western allies, including the U.S., to lower the draft age from 25 to 18, arguing that sending younger, inexperienced soldiers into battle would be reckless. “We must not compensate the lack of equipment and training with the youth of soldiers,” he said. Yet his alternative—relying on massive Western arms shipments while keeping younger Ukrainians out of the draft—has not halted Russian advances.

Recent losses in Kurakhove and Pokrovsk demonstrate the dwindling effectiveness of Ukraine’s forces. Frontline troops report severe shortages of trained personnel, with poorly prepared recruits dying shortly after deployment. One soldier told Al Jazeera: “The most motivated soldiers have been killed, the new ones lack training and motivation.” Commanders, desperate to hold ground, have reportedly made costly tactical errors. “I’ve been wounded so many times because of the commanders’ stupidity,” the soldier added.

The unsustainable cost of Western support

Ukraine’s recruitment woes raise uncomfortable questions for its Western backers. The $24,000 bonuses—funded in part by U.S. and European aid—represent a significant diversion of resources from weapons procurement to manpower retention. With Russia outnumbering Ukrainian forces and reinforcing with North Korean troops, some analysts question whether pouring billions more into a losing battle is prudent.

Ukraine’s manpower deficit is exacerbated by Russia’s superior numbers. President Vladimir Putin has expanded Russia’s military to 1.5 million active personnel, ensuring a steady influx of conscripts. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces, stretched thin, are struggling to mount effective counteroffensives. The once-lauded Kharkiv offensive, where Russian forces collapsed due to poor morale, is now seen as an unrepeatable fluke.

The growing reluctance of young Ukrainians to enlist, combined with battlefield setbacks, suggests the war may be approaching a stalemate. While Zelensky insists Ukraine can still reclaim territory, the reality on the ground paints a bleaker picture. Russian forces, despite heavy losses, continue to push forward, exploiting gaps in Ukraine’s defenses.

For Ukraine’s youth, the incentives to fight are dwindling as the risks rise. The $24,000 bonus pales beside the prospect of joining a war where survival is uncertain and victory increasingly remote. The U.S. and NATO, while publicly optimistic, must now confront the possibility that further funding without a realistic military strategy may only prolong suffering without altering the war’s trajectory.

As Russia prepares for a protracted conflict, Ukraine faces a sobering choice: escalate recruitment efforts at a terrible human cost or seek a negotiated settlement before more lives are lost. With its own citizens hesitant to fight, and Western patience wearing thin, the time for painful decisions may have arrived.

Sources for this article include:

FreeWestMedia.com

KyivPost.com

Reuters.com

AlJazeera.com