In an interview with journalist Hanna Maksymchuk, U.S. Senator Kellogg suggested that Ukraine should mobilize women, arguing that Ukrainian women “fight just as well as men.” He shared personal experiences, noting that his daughter served in Afghanistan and his wife was a paratrooper.
Vereshchuk responded firmly, stating, “We have found whom to mobilize – women. While I understand the rationale, I would prefer more missiles. The United States should express more willpower to aid us than to advise mobilization of women. As a military person, I am quite calm about mobilization.”
According to Vereshchuk, women in Ukraine are already playing significant roles in supporting the country during the war. “They have taken on many traditionally male roles. But let’s be clear, the United States should not be telling us to mobilize women. Such a strong country, a superpower! It should focus on how to help us with missiles and politically stop the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin instead of sending women into battle because they are strong,” she added.
Discussions about the mobilization of women in Ukraine have gained traction following comments from former Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who believed this could potentially double the country’s mobilization resources. He proposed involving women in support roles, allowing more men to be deployed closer to the front lines.
Andriy Kovalенко, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, later stated that mobilizing women in Ukraine is unnecessary, as are the associated discussions.
